Kvlts Of Vice - Death On The Delta

​Kvlts Of Vice

Death On The Delta
self-released; 2016

3.7 out of 5

By Mike Pryzgoda

Death On The Delta by Kvits Of Vice is a mixture of dark gothic blues and heavy metal.   The instrumental and vocal abilities of the band are very solid, and the EP acknowledges many influences and genres blending them into one.

The best song on the EP is “In Darkest Dreams” which opens with a thick bass riff before a melodic guitar line comes in a la Europe and the song takes off into a tension filled fever dream.   The use of dynamics in the song is very effective with peaks and valleys throughout the song and a short but effective guitar solo spitting out some screaming notes. “Of Truth In Fire” combines some Layne Stanley hums before erupting into a Guns N Roses riff and scream.   The pre-chorus has a nice contrast to the rest of the song, breaking down before the melodic hook of the chorus comes in. Again, the guitar solo is very well executed with tapping notes flying out over the pounding double kick drum.

“Nightmare Grove” also contains the Alice In Chains vocal inflection over a Blue Oyster Cult-like guitar riff. Here, the solo is a little quiet in the mix, which is unfortunate as some of its epic execution gets lost. There is a nice instrumental break towards the end of the song and that is an element that could be used more throughout, breaking up some of the verses.

The opening title track starts out very interesting with the soundscape of a thunderstorm while banjo rolls serve as a prelude of the what is to come. Once the band drops in with the guitars echoing the banjo the song evolves smoothly from country blues to a really solid metal riff and growling vocals. Some of the interjections here are a little humorous, perhaps intentionally. The quasi-double-time outdo does not quite have the swing to make it effective and doesn’t serve to capture the promise of some other elements of the song. “Molly On The Bayou” is based off a descending acoustic riff similar to “The Cat Came Back” which breaks into a louder rock section.  The vocals feel a little theatrical until the heavier section comes to balance it.

The EP closes with “The Mortician Blues” with four-on-the-floor kick drums and sliding dobro-esque acoustic guitars before transforming into a dark gothic heavy nightmare. The band uses these transitions well throughout and it is one of their greatest strengths, as if Robert Johnson came right out of the Delta and started fronting a metal band.

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