Deliberately intimidating saga in the cold and desolate Uppsala, Sweden, Killing Kind is a band that has skillfully turned uncomfortable feelings of existence into impressive sonic art. Their newest record, Being Human, is a fascinating odyssey through void and self-examination, an eclectic mix of post-punk, synth-pop, and gothic influences that results in a sound not only recognizable but also strikingly new and avant-garde. The album, with its eleven tracks as anxiously alive as the very heartbeat of a living creature, manages to capture the paradoxes of our era: a world of infinite noise and stillness that grows louder, of loveliness and decay, of humanity and machine.
The formation period of Killing Kind is attributed to the time of the pandemic, and the inception of the band was a side project idea of the three musicians, well known for their underground music in Sweden: Björn Norberg (vocals, guitar, bass), Mats Wigerdal (synths), and Mats Molund (drums). The trio's history dates back to the '80s, when the likes of Kitchen & the Plastic Spoons, Lee Harvey Oswald Ensemble, and Fahrenheit were not only the faces but also the sound of the country's young post-punk scene. What was initially a creative challenge in an isolated situation has turned out to be one of the most vibrant and brilliant representatives in Scandinavia.
Once again, it was with the celebrated producer Tomas Skogsberg that the trio of Being Human recorded their album at Sunlight Studio in Stockholm, a place that has been the source of Sweden's heavy music for quite a long time and the sound behind the likes of Entombed and Dismember, death metal legends, as well as the industrial pioneers Poupée Fabrikk. The production done by Skogsberg, his only one and very distinct, makes the album like a lengthy and striking film of the dense type, the best base really for a band that appeals to the dark side of music with their analog synths, mechanical beats, and the spooky choir stuff.
It is through the medium of "Humanity" that our senses get their first taste of an experience that is at once fearful and thought-provoking, as the record plunges into the very theme: an intellectual espionage on what human identity is when the world is falling apart. Energetically sharp "Desperately Holding On” and beautifully tragic "Let the Demons Take the Win”, these two titles are just examples of the thematic and emotional depths of the record. The words are drawn from the sci-fi and horror genres, and images such as black holes, ghosts, and distant worlds are just some of the representations used to convey the modern disconnect and the psychology of collective trauma.
On the record, the trio gave the viola player Lidija Radmilac, vocalist Cecilia Germain, and pianist Ernst Erlanson some tracks to add the lush, spine-chilling instrumental and vocal layers to the album's background. On the other hand, the dark side of Being Human does not lack the slightest trace of optimism. It certainly is the kind of album that, still in the rubble, tries to find a reason, a funeral for the gone, and a thought about the left ones.
What Killing Kind has done is truly eternal: art that flirts with the unimaginable sorrow of life yet vehemently refuses to give in to it. They haven't only made an album, but rather a journey with their latest work," Being Human", a mighty undertaking that can serve as a reminder that even in the bleakest hours, our humanity is the last light worth fighting for.
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