MERCHANTS OF AIR

Kong are at the same time very special and very consistent, which means that the surprise factor of Merchants of Air can be quite high for those who don't know the band yet but fairly low for those who do. Merchant of Air presents Kong's trademark heavy and straight guitar riff driven instrumental sound spiced up by electronics and samples. Merchant of Air is a clear improvement compared to 2009's rather uninspired and formulaic What It Seems is What You Get. The electronics and sample side has been strengthened again (we're not quite back at Freak Control but some elements have been taken from there) which makes the sound more lively and adventurous, and also the compositions have far more variety, dynamics and contrast with some well placed calmer parts, so the quality can be described as a return to form; it's not really innovative on the background of the history of the band but very well done and it gives the listener a lot to explore all of which though is embedded in the usual mighty 4/4 drumming and heavy straight guitar riffs. I think they strike a pretty good balance here between organic flow and playing out their parts on one hand and variation in intensity and speed on the other. I don't usually like metal singers and I love energetic and powerful music that keeps flowing and driving, so Kong is a very good fit for me. Their consistency is both a quality, as they deliver very reliably, and a bit of an issue because if you dislike one of their albums you can feel quite sure leaving all the others alone.