Krallice's 'Scour Order' Marks a Nostalgic Return to Riff-Heavy Black Metal
On their 16th full-length, Krallice strips away the synthesizers that dominated recent releases and returns to their original guitar-bass-drums lineup. The album is tightly wound and riff-oriented, channeling the raw energy of early black metal while retaining their signature counterpoint. It's the band's first overt concession to nostalgia, and they sound invigorated by it.
The album originated from a commission by the Netherlands' Roadburn Festival, marking the first time Krallice wrote material specifically for a live performance rather than studio creation. This shift appears to have shaped the record's emphasis on immediate, visceral impact over the expansive textures of recent work. Barr and Marston originally bonded over a shared interest in channeling Darkthrone's raw energy, having previously played in complex instrumental bands. Scour Order reconnects with those early impulses while maintaining the counterpoint and compositional sophistication that have defined the band's catalog since their 2008 debut.
This album could resonate with longtime black metal listeners who drifted from Krallice's more experimental phases, potentially reconnecting the band with their original audience. It may also influence how other experimental metal acts approach live-oriented writing, demonstrating that festival commissions can yield focused, energetic results. The nostalgic turn suggests even boundary-pushing artists periodically find value in revisiting foundational sounds, which could encourage broader conversations about artistic evolution and audience expectations in extreme metal.