Album Review: "Moment of Violence" - Kharma



About a week ago, Chicago heavy hitters Kharma finally come out with their highly-anticipated sophomore record, Moment of Violence.


Take everything you already loved about Kharma and polish it up without losing any of the grit - that’s this album. Guitar riffs are tighter, breakdowns are deeper and heavier, bass and drums hit harder, still as perfectly timed and executed as ever. Additionally, vocalist Jordan Moten’s unique vocal style, as well as the band's lyrics, are still as violent and visceral as ever.


The intro track, “Good Riddance,” may just be one of my favorites. This track, as well as ones like “Through My Eyes,” “Overanalyzed,” and “Distress,” bring beatdown-influenced, molasses-slow breakdowns that somehow bring a more intense heaviness than the band’s previous release already carried.


This mixes well with the faster tracks, like “Hands of the Oppressor,” “Counterfeit,” and “Paper Gangster.” Kharma has always provided listeners with a wide range of sounds for all sorts of hardcore fans. These tracks, as well as the rest of the record, encapsulate what Kharma is to me: a blend of everything, from fast-paced two-step grooves, to crushingly intense metallic sounds.


What has earned some polarizing comments is the lyrical content - while I’ve seen internet whispers that some find the lyrics over-the-top or fake, rest assured, the blood-soaked fantasies that Moment of Violence brings to you are as authentic and real deal as they always have been. This is the kind of music that would fit in whether you’re physically on your way to beat someone’s ass, or you’re just driving home trying to listen to something to get that frustration out.


Moment of Violence is ironically named, being that each of the 8 tracks provide a different extended view into ways a human being can be pissed off. The glory of it all is that Kharma gets to say what you want to, even if you have to hold back in the moment. That applies whether you want to tell the cop, fake internet hardcore kid and/or the rich dude to fuck off and die, and that’s satisfying in itself. That’s how I would describe this album: satisfaction. If you’re angry, you’re going to find some way to relate to at least a song or two on this record.


For fans of: Detain, King Nine, Lifeless, and Queensway.

Favorite tracks: “Hands of the Oppressor,” “Good Riddance,” “Overanalyzed,” and “Through My Eyes.”


Listen to Moment of Violence below:






-Angie

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