Kyshera – Made In China

It is not a rarity to be impressed by something with the constant thrust of new releases year in year out but it is quite unique to be left truly stunned by one of pure brilliance and imagination so that nothing but praise can be offered. Made in China from South Wales band Kyshera (pronounced K-eye-she-ra), is one of those rare treats. It offers a kaleidoscope of ideas, invention and intrusive imagination within a maelstrom of captivating and challenging ingenuity, quite simply it is exceptional and the best album so far this year.

Released via Rising Records, Made In China is the follow up to debut album Paradigm and finds the trio of vocalist/guitarist James Kennedy, bassist Matt Warr, and drummer Phil Smith, unleashing an even greater richness of stirring confrontational lyrics socially and personally, alongside accessible yet equally provoking inventive sounds. The album has an immediate appeal through its fine melodic breath but once captured the senses are challenged and manipulated with a schizophrenic soundscape of unpredictable and magnetic aural contortions. It is never a release which is indulgent or with the suggestion of falling into disconnected chaos, but a mesmeric and diverse ever evolving pleasure which equally wrong foots and fully captivates throughout.

The album opens with ‘Terrorists’, a track which suddenly disorientates as it steps without warning into a conjuration of immersive melodic jazz manipulations within the unleashed force of muscular riffs and sturdy rhythms. The side step is a startling and glorious twitching of aspects and the song an enterprise of feisty intensity and scorched melodic caresses in the vein of Dog Fashion Disco meets Circus Of Dead Squirrels.

The track is just the beginning as the band continues to excite and aggressively tease the senses with further innovative intrusions such as the senses twisting instrumental ‘The Game’, the majestic yet threatening ‘Sugar’, and ‘Germ’ with its distressed surface and effect showered breath.

The magnificent groove metal spiced ‘Mannequins’ just steals top track honours though all the tracks are immense. The song is irresistible as it weaves an ominous atmosphere throughout its beautifully crafted and beckoning melodic presence. It as does the whole album pokes, suggests and then insists on compliance and it is impossible to deny. Kyshera is a band renowned for their unwillingness to conform but what will they do when we conform to them which with releases like this we all surely will. 

Pete RingMaster 

Band info: www.kyshera.com 

Label info: www.risingrecords.org