I remember when I first heard ARCTURUS and how they where (and still are) so out of left field for me. The songwriting was so different from my typical CD rotation. I was always asking myself where is the dark, chaotic energy and sound that makes you headbang and play air guitar to? KHÔRA is very similar to ARCTURUS and a bit of later-day DØDHEIMSGARD. Also, to the sorta overly hyped (in my book) IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT. KHÔRA gives me much of that same thoughts when listening to their latest release. I truly appreciate the thought and willingness to take a different approach in today’s music scene, and maybe this could have been EMPEROR if they decided to stay together and let Ihshan take full control. At times, there are touches of DIMMU BORGIR grandiosity, with Simon on the vocals as well. Believe me, as I write this, fans of the above-mentioned bands will just eat this stuff up. The music is very bombastic and epic and more thinking man’s style, but I get to thinking how well this would work in a live setting? Speaking for myself, the music is all over the place and a bit hard for me to find something to latch onto. The production is done well and for this style of music, you need the clarity in the sound to differentiate all the instrumentation. I love the label Les Acteurs De L’Ombre Productions because of the quality and the variety behind their releases, and this is a testament to their willingness to step outside the box. Mention must be made as well to the artwork for this release and some of their past works, which relate to the band’s sound. So, fans of the aforementioned bands take heed. You may have something to delve into. Find what you need here: www.facebook.com/khora.official, www.facebook.com/ladloproductions