KLOGR - 'Fractured Realities'
Reviewed by Allister Spence • 31 October 2024
KLOGR ((pronounced "Key-Log-Are") hail from Italy and the USA. Formed in 2011 ‘Fractured Realities’ is their fifth album to date and comes seven years after their last album ‘Keystone.’
Delayed by the pandemic and lack of touring income, ‘Fractured Realities’ sees KLOGR expanding the palette of their sound with the introduction of synths to the sound.
It gives the new album a widescreen sound that fits in nicely with the album’s concept. The new song cycle tackles the world we live in today focussing its gaze on how we put profit, greed, and personal gain over our mental and personal health.
‘Early Wounds’ kicks off proceedings and sets the tone for the album. We have pain and loss in verses that are heavy, the drums and bass pounding the track along only to arrive at a chorus that is catchy as hell.
The darkness continues to swirl around on ‘Gravity of Fear.’ A similar pattern plays out here with the heavy verses playing off choruses that show off the more melodic side of the band.
Albert Eno lends his vocal talents to ‘The Twisted Art.’ This is one of my favourite tracks on the album. The contrast between Rustichelli and Eno’s vocals delivers a mesmerising duet. Musically there is a funk style bass line here and song moves along at a pace until the break where the mood turns darker, and the music gets heavier.
There’s some nice guitar playing, which leads into the vocals on ‘Face the Unknown.’ The song is themed around then uncertainty we face in the modern world and the struggles that places on the lives of ordinary people.
The menacing sounds return on ‘One of Eight.’ The band sound like they have down tuned their instruments here and Rustichelli growls and snarls out the lyrics.
‘Lead Wings’ follows on and continues in a similar vein matching passages of melody and delicacy to moments of heavy riffing and pounding from the rhythm section.
As the album moves towards its climax the band shift everything into a much grander style. On ‘Unspoken Words’ and ‘Hysterical Blindness’ the band add many more layers to their sound stretching out in places for some passages of music that might have dropped from a new age record. It all works though.
Everything eases back the gears on ‘Waking World.’ That’s not to say that it’s a ballad. It’s more a growling blues hard rock hybrid. Rustichelli vocals reach an almost hysterical pitch as he pleads with the listener and the track plays out with an excellent guitar piece.
Finally, we come to ‘Whale Fall.’ Like ‘Waking World’ this is a slower kind of heaviness. The song has a rich melody and swoops into a soaring chorus. It’s an album highlight with strong performances from the band all around.
This was my first encounter with KLOGR, and I thoroughly enjoyed. I’ll be looking into their back catalogues in the future. If you enjoy Prog Metal, Symphonic Metal, or any similar categorisations of music you’ll find a lot to embrace within the fractured realities of KLOGR.
Founding member Gabriele ‘Rusty’ Rustichelli leads from the front. As far as I could find out the rest of the band is Alessandro "Crivez" Crivellari on guitar, and backing vocals, Roberto "Piv-o" Pivanti on bass and Filippo "Filo" De Pietri on drums. All players on the album are excellent and their playing across the albums makes for an enthralling listen.
'Fractured Realities' w released via Zeta Factory 31st October 2024.
KLOGR will join Everygrey on their ‘Emptiness Over Europe’ tour this November and December.
03.11.2024 Herford (DE) @ Kulturwerk
05.11.2024 Bochum (DE) @ Zeche
06.11.2024 Siegburg (DE) @ Kubana
07.11.2024 Sarnen (CH) @ Urrock Musik Festival
08.11.2024 Monthey (CH) Pont Rouge
09.11.2024 Barcelona (ES) @ Sala Boveda
10.11.2024 Madrid (ES) @ Revi Live
11.11.2024 Lisbon (PT) @ RCA Club
12.11.2024 Porto (PT) @ Hard Club Room 2
13.11.2024 Mos (ES) @ Sala Rebullon
14.11.2024 Valladolid (ES) @ Porta Caeli
15.11.2024 Vitoria-Gasteiz (ES) @ Urban Rock Concept
16.11.2024 Nantes (FR) @ Le Ferrailleur
17.11.2024 Paris (FR) @ Petit Bain
19.11.2024 Würzburg (DE) Posthalle
20.11.2024 Hannover (DE) @ Musikzentrum
21.11.2024 Leipzig (DE) @ Hellraiser
22.11.2024 Hamburg (DE) @ Bahnhof Pauli
24.11.2024 Berlin (DE) @ Lido
25.11.2024 Poznan (PL) @ 2Progi
26.11.2024 Cracow (PL) @ Kwadrat
29.11.2024 Sofia (BG) @ Mixtape 5
30.11.2024 Thessaloniki (GR) @ Principal Club Theater
01.12.2024 Athens (GR) @ Kyttaro Live
03.12.2024 Belgrade (RS) @ Dorcol Platz
04.12.2024 Zagreb (HR) @ Mochvara Club
05.12.2024 Banja Luka (BH) @ Sports Hall Obilicevo
06.12.2024 Budapest (HU) @ Barba Negra
07.12.2024 Burglengenfeld Vaz (DE) @ Pfarrheim
08.12.2024 Dornbirn (AT) @ Conrad Sohm
10.12.2024 Munich (DE) @ Backstage Halle
11.12.2024 Mannheim (DE) @ 7er Club
12.12.2024 Trier (DE) @ Mergener Hof
14/12/2024 - LONDON (GB), The Dome
15/12/2024 - BOURNEMOUTH (GB), The Old Firestation
16/12/2024 - MANCHESTER (GB), Rebellion
17/12/2024 - SHEFFIELD (GB), Network 2
18/12/2024 - GLASGOW (GB), Cathouse
19/12/2024 - DUBLIN (IE), Opium
20/12/2024 - COLCHESTER (GB), Arts Centre