KILLER BE KILLED — Reluctant Hero (review)

KILLER BE KILLED — Reluctant Hero album cover Album · 2020 · Groove Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Reluctant Hero" is the second full-length studio album by US alternative/groove metal act Killer Be Killed. The album was released through Nuclear Blast in November 2020. There´s been one lineup change since the 2014 eponymously titled debut album as drummer David Elitch (The Mars Volta) has been replaced by Ben Koller (All Pigs Must Die, Converge...etc.). The members remaining from the lineup who recorded the debut album are guitarist/vocalist Max Cavalera (Sepultura, Soulfly, Nailbomb, Cavalera Conspiracy), bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders (Mastodon), and guitarist/vocalist Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan).

Stylistically the material on "Reluctant Hero" continues the alternative/groove metal sound of the debut album. Little has changed and the big attraction here is still how well playing the band are and that three different singers contribute to the music. Cavalera has his parts, but it´s predominantly Sanders and Puciato who are heard. The latter typically adding a melodic metalcore touch to the music. The tracks feature both groove, thrash, and more straight forward power chord riffs. The latter typically during the choruses of the songs. Koller is a skilled and energetic drummer, who understands exactly which grooves/beats are needed at any given point during a track.

The material are generally well written and relatively catchy (typically the tracks are 3-4 minutes long featuring regular vers/chorus structures), and while the tracks didn´t stick in my mind after my initial listening session, a couple of more spins helped and the tracks began to stand out a bit more. I still feel that some of the vocal melodies are on the simplistic side and the tracks could have been stronger with more interesting vocal melodies. Overall the tracks are well crafted though.

"Reluctant Hero" features a clear, detailed, and well sounding production job, which suits the material perfectly and upon conclusion it´s a good quality sophomore release by Killer Be Killed. It´s not an album which blows me away, but it´s a quality release on most parameters and a 3.5 star (70%) rating isn´t all wrong.
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