Acidity | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 2005 (THT Productions/T.O.P/Musica Studios, cassette) March 2005 (Fear Dark Records, CD) | |||
Recorded | Vision Studio, Jakarta, Indonesia Studio Vertigo, Melbourne, Australia | |||
Genre | Avant-garde metal, electronic, extreme metal, heavy metal | |||
Length | 56:06 | |||
Label | THT Productions/T.O.P. Fear Dark Records | |||
Producer | Jeff Arwadi Mixed at Vision Studio | |||
Kekal compilations chronology | ||||
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Kekal studio albums chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Arising Realm Magazine | 9.0/10[1] |
HM Magazine | favorable[2] |
Imperiumi.net | 5+/10[3] |
Metal Storm | 7/10[4] |
Powermetal.de | Highly favorable[5] |
"Psych Folk" Radio | Extremely favorable[6] |
Rock Tribune Magazine | 85/100 |
Terrorizer | 8.5/10 |
Acidity is the fifth album by Indonesian avant-garde metal band Kekal. It was recorded in celebration of the band's tenth anniversary, and was an official reunion album for the band.[2][7][8] It marked the return of guitarist Leo Setiawan to the band, and includes the vocal talents of founding member Newbabe. The album was released following the band's successful 2004 European mini-tour, and a promotional concert and release party was held for the album on 13 March 2005 in Indonesia.[9] It was considered by many to be the band's strongest work to date,[10] and is one of four albums available for free download from the band on its website.
There is a music video created for the song "Dream for a Moment".[11]
The band has stated that while each song does not represent the overall sound of the album, each song contributes to the album concept.[8] According to Jeff, the title is referencing acid indigestion caused by urban stress and eating fast food, and represents the stress of city living and economic hardship.[12]
Acidity continued with the experimental precedent set by 1000 Thoughts of Violence and included a wide variety of musical styles including avant-garde, black metal, classic rock, electronic, indie rock, progressive metal, progressive rock, psychedelic rock, and trip hop.[2][13] Other elements incorporated into the sound were jazz and ambient passages as well as double-bass drum blasts.[2] The vocals range from black metal shrieks to death growls to clean vocal styles.[2] A review by progressive.homestead.com, a division of "Psych Folk" Radio, listed the album style as including elements of "symphonic metal, heavy metal (more like early Iron Maiden), dark and brutal metal, even a few seconds of hiphop metal".[6] Other elements cited were "gothic wave", jazzy melodies and improvisations, "pop song orientation with metal background", "progressive techno-electronic", "wild" progressive rock, and "some mad freakout theatrical avant-garde vocals", ambient guitar feedback, and "perhaps of few seconds of some Indonesian element."[6]
In an interview on Ultimate Metal.com, Jeff responded to the band being labeled "avant-garde": "For us, avant-garde is not a classification of music. It is a state of being, a state of becoming... ...once your music can be classified easily, I don't think the word progressive or avant-garde fits. So that's why we mention in our bio that "avant-garde" is an ideal state for us, and not a classification."[14]
All tracks are written by Jeff Arwadi
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Characteristicon" | 5:59 |
2. | "Strength in My Weakness" | 4:56 |
3. | "Thy Neighbor's Morality" | 7:25 |
4. | "A Dream for a Moment" | 5:50 |
5. | "Broken" | 4:46 |
6. | "Envy and Its Manifesto" | 5:59 |
7. | "The Way of Thinking Beyond Comprehension" | 8:51 |
8. | "Romanitika Destruksi" | 2:25 |
9. | "Blessing in Disguise" | 5:38 |
10. | "Empty Space" | 4:08 |
With special guests: