[Review] Kemerov - FMKD

Kemerov - FMKD cover art
Kemerov are a fresh mix of punk, death and rock 'n' roll, from Serres, Greece. After lots of work, they released their first full length album entitled "FMKD" (FMKD stands for Feed, Mate, Kill, Die). Previously, in November 2015, they released a four-track EP which leveled up our expectations for their full-length work.
We are very happy to announce that our expectations have been fulfilled.  We’ve already been introduced to "Vault Relics", the new label in the Greek underground music scene, which also released "FMKD" in 31 January 2017. A few days later, Kemerov appeared alongside with Sodom in Thessaloniki.
"FMKD" is consisted of 11 (!) heavy tracks, inspired from Turbonegro and Entombed, to Cathedral and Bolt Thrower. In general, the album gets better after every hearing. On every track we get our death ‘n’ roll kicks.
For starts, the great thing about "FMKD" in total is the professional approach of Kemerov's work. The cover is greatly designed, the production is clear, for loud hearings. So, you get a lot into Kemerov’s approach before and while listening to the album. The starting track is "New Order" and it’s a great introduction with chaos and lots of punk aesthetic. "TV-Bred" and "Docile Sheep" are both great songs and you get a great Turbonegro feeling in guitar riffs and solos.You can also hear the same death-glam blast from the drums coming out right to your ears. Kemerov live photo by Lampros Flioukas
The album continues with lots of sleazy punk in the already known "Slay your son" (the most poetic title of all tracks) and "Species" which reminds us a lot of death and doom metal blasts. There is an old-school touch in the album in general which we get to love a lot. Vocals get more brutal in "Plague of Nations" accompanied with heavy riffs and a gloomy playing like the debut days of Cathedral. "Better Man" reminds us those edgy guitar solos we listened to the first songs and maybe it’s the most "professional" track of the album. In fact "Better Man" is a cover to a song that was originally released back in 2001 by "Sicks Daze" (album: Six Days), one of the singer’s former bands.  "Murdered in the Steppe" continues to the same style. Right after, we get into the more laid-back and doomy "Gargoyle Keep" together with the chaotic "Sane". In the end, "FMKD" makes a punkish death 'n' roll closure to mark the sound of Kemerov, just like in the beginning. The tracks are sequenced in the best possible order and almost all of them have lyrics with social and political subjects, full with the energy of (our) inner devastation.
Kemerov photo by Kostas Vlachopoulos

The bands coming from the Greek underground scene the last years, in a great percentage appear to have a common impact to the listener; once you listen to them next thing you know is you just want to watch them in a live gig to enjoy them in the fullest. It is just as if many bands are into the rock 'n' roll culture and they're created for live shows and fun. This is what it feels like to listen to bands like "Kemerov". FMKD is both a serious and fun album to listen to, possibly one of the best releases that we'll get to listen in 2017.

by Gaia

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(photo credits: live photo by Lampros Flioukas  |  band photo by Kostas Vlachopoulos)
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more Info and Biography
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Kemerov are from Serres, Greece and they are the brainchild of two guys (Matt & Giorgos) that grew up with ‘90s old-school deathmetal and Black Sabbath beliefs, but they could never really choose between the metal sound and the rock 'n' roll feeling. Giving in to these schizophrenical tendencies, and inspired by bands like Entombed, Cathedral and Turbonegro (among others), they decided to put everything in the mix. They started off in 2013 with guitar, voice and occasionally bass and drums, as finding skilled and reliable musicians is not the easiest thing, especially in a small Greek city. They didn’t give up though, they kept writing music and rehearsing with the help of temporary drummers and bass players. In the autumn of 2014, Tasos joined the band in drums and, some months later, his brother Spiros took on the bass duties. This was the first ever full Kemerov line-up which still lasts to this day. From then on, everything took its course. Kemerov self-released their self-titled 4-track EP in November 2015, which received positive reviews from allover the world. They didn’t stop there; they never missed an opportunity to play live, and so far they have supported historic bands like Rotting Christ, Septicflesh and Jucifer with great success. Kemerov released their debut full-length album "FMKD" in 31 January 2017 (label: Vault Relics), just before their live appearance alongside thrash-metal legends Sodom in Thessaloniki.

Lineup:
Matt Karampalios – voice
Giorgos Tsapkinis – guitar
Spiros Diamantidis – bass
Tasos Diamantidis – drums 

"FMKD"
all songs written by Kemerov
except "The Better Man" written and originally performed by Sicks Daze

produced by   Kemerov & Emmanouil Hermano Tselepis
recorded in   September-November 2016
drums recorded at   Flow Recordings studio by Paris Fragkos
guitars recorded at   Galdemi studio by Giorgos Tsapkinis
bass & vocals recorded at   Steve's studio by Steve
backing vocals by   Zangief & Shotiraqe Eightysix
mixed & mastered by   Emmanouil Hermano Tselepis
original artwork by   Kotsifas Blackbird


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