Ana Kefr- The Burial Tree (II)
As a reviewer, it is my job to describe an album to my readers. I must analyze every song, pay careful attention to the instruments and to the lyrics and then give my opinion. After doing this for a while and going through countless albums, it becomes harder to find albums that stand out or bring something completely new to the table. It also becomes easier to classify an album and compare it to similar sounding bands within the genre or sub-genre.
So when I was sent Ana Kefr’s the Burial Tree (II), I couldn’t immediately sit down and whip up a review. I had reviewed this band’s debut album, Volume 1, so I had an idea of what to expect. Volume 1, a ‘philosophy’ metal/proggy metal album was truly an album that I considered to be unique. And that is not a term I use frequently. I believe it’s a word you keep in reserve for those that deserve it. So, after listening to The Burial Tree (II) I needed some time to digest all of the material. Listening to it once was just scratching the surface. The intricacies became more pervasive the more of it I inspected. And that was truly something amazing.
The Burial Tree (II) is a challenge to try to describe, but I will do my best. It’s metal, but it’s also not metal. They’ve got their main sound drenched in heaviness, but they’ve got roots that have grown wild and have wound up in new territories. They’ve got a snazzy jazz component. They’ve got beautiful, soft spoken singing. They’ve even got rattlesnake tails and a clarinet to be heard somewhere in the mix. You simply cannot put The Burial Tree (II) into any one category. And that is exactly what the band strives for and it is what I admire about the band. They want you to expect the unexpected.
One of my personal favorite things about the album were the lyrics. It is always more often than not that I am rolling my eyes in disappointment at the predictability and repetitive nature as far as lyrical themes go in metal. The Burial Tree (II) managed to exceed my expectations with its in-depth and masterfully engineered writing. The lyrics, when read straight through, are like reading a short story. While cloaked in biblical references, the story goes much deeper than just what the characters are saying. You’ll have to pay attention, re-read the lyrics, and try to figure it out for yourself.
But the lyrics are only on part of the Burial Tree (II). There’s so much going on, and yet at the same time, it is organized in a way so that it flows tranquilly from song to song. And what is so amazing is that the album covers so much musical ground, is literally all over place, yet it is so majestically seamless. Songs like “Thaumatrope” have everything from starting out with a saxophone to erupting into hard-hitting, menacing heavy metal. Then it dips into a quiet desert where, if you listen closely you can even hear a rattlesnake. But it’s not long before a new wave of thunder strikes the song and you’re beaten with metallic fury. That’s just one song. Each one of the 14 songs has its own individually crafted structure and it’s waiting for you to listen to it. Ana Kefr is relatively an underground band, but they are a gem to be found among the rubble. They are also a band that is so musically diverse that I can see it appealing to a much wider audience than that. This album so far is among my favorites released this year. Don’t miss out on it!
Words by Stephanie Davison
