Amongst the first wave of the heavier Danish thrash/death metal brigade of the late 80s/early 90s, Konkhra released two acclaimed demos plus their Stranded EP before the debut album Sexual Affective Disorder hit the streets in 1993. Although the band’s productivity crawled to a decade-long halt between 2009’s Nothing Is Sacred and 2019’s Alpha and the Omega releases due to a series of lineup changes, we’ve now arrived at the eighth studio full-length for Sad Plight of Lucifer with the classic quartet in alignment. After significant spins, the eleven tracks traverse a bit of a modern, groove-like punch next to the natural death/thrash tendencies that have been ever-present in the foundation of their style.
Much like brethren such as Sepultura or Machine Head, the crushing riffs along with occasional swirling vocal effects give songs like “Seven Plagues” and “Magick” a current angst that younger metalheads could gravitate toward – yet main components when it comes to the performances and tones still accentuate a seasoned ferocity that’s razor sharp. When the group wants to hit the accelerator in double bass fury, you can’t go wrong with a shape-shifting cut like “Nothing Can Save You” – drummer Johnny Nielsen balancing his fleet feet capabilities next to a solid, mid-tempo groove underpinning and classic fill supplementation that should keep heads banging relentlessly. Most long-timers will enjoy the death tremolo-intensity beyond the savage bends and guitar twists of “Artificial Sun” – as vocalist / guitarist Anders Lundemark sinks his teeth into those measured words like a possessed growler on the hunt for new prey. The problem over the course of this 46-minute playtime is a lack of standout, memorable songs – even when the atmosphere or tempos change, there’s the natural sameness quality that doesn’t rise to the level of superior acts that obviously influence the group (Testament, Carcass, Entombed, etc.). Small segments pique eyebrow curiosity – yet not enough to sustain subsequent, deeper dive involvement for most.
Sad Plight of Lucifer is another case for middle of the road death/thrash with modern groove aspects that keeps Konkhra safe in a crowded sea of artists fighting for limited disposal income especially next to younger, hungrier acts. Better luck next time.