The dog days of Summer are here in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning the days are slowly getting shorter as Autumn and Winter loom in the shadows. Perfectly timed, Kurokuma has released Of Amber and Sand (Self-Released) which is about the concept of time according to ancient civilizations. The use of Middle Eastern influences as well as a baglama solo bring it all together in this thirty-eight-minute journey through the temporary and the permanent.

A rooster crows and then Kurokuma jumps right into a wave of psychedelic-infused death metal and sludge that is known as “I Am Forever.” As advertised, a baglama solo hits just before the three-minute mark that transports you to a drug-induced trip through the sands of the Middle East. The last minute finishes out with a heavier riff and for a short while the baglama returns.

“Fenjaan” is another example of a track on Of Amber and Sand that mixes psychedelia
influences, Middle Eastern/ancient meso-civilizations, and eventually the sheer weight of sludge metal pours over the top around halfway in. At the same time, the harsh/shouted vocal tandem of Jake Mazium and Zakk Wells hit like a ton of bricks as if to break time itself. The intro riff returns with some more distortion to wrap up the song.

“Crux Ansata” might be my favorite track on the record. The intro showcases drummer Joe E. Allen’s ability to sound like time ticking away as the riffs slowly make their way in. Not long after, a full-fledged doom/sludge riff comes crashing down that is repeated throughout the track. The solo in the back half of the song sounds as if the guitar is trying to imitate the baglama from earlier on in the album, really making a full circle out of the album.

Of Amber and Sand has me stopping for a few moments to realize my age, my time here at Ghost Cult as a writer, and just life in general. I lost myself in this album quite a few times, which I’m sure was the mission statement from Kurokuma. This album will be getting quite a few more plays between melting in the late-summer sun and then as the leaves and temperatures fall to repeat the cycle of nature’s timely life and death.

Buy the album here:
https://kurokumauk.bandcamp.com/album/of-amber-and-sand

7 / 10
TIM LEDIN