Records of the Week

KERRETTA ON MYSPACE

There is a fine line to be ridden in more “traditional” instrumental rock (traditional referring to the word rock, and not instrumental), between heavy riffage for the sake of heavy riffage, and lite-rocks-without-the-vox. I use the word traditional hesitantly, because there is no true dejá vu to be found in Kerretta’s debut full length. Hailing from New Zealand, land of former Midium label-mates Jakob, Kerretta’s Vilayer delivers a freight train of spacious, progressive, heavily fleshed-out sonic landscapes – perhaps inspired by the effulgence of New Zealand’s natural architecture and topography. Opener “Sleepers” induces the development of anything but, what with its stadium-proportioned projections onto the eardrum, but Kerretta begin to wax ambient during interior passages on “The Secret Is Momentum”  and “White Lie.” We haven’t seen such prowess and power emerge from this area of the world since Australia’s Meniscus brought us Absence of I in 2007, and Kerretta have even surpassed last year’s release Aura from Poland’s Tides From Nebula on the boot-quaking heaviness spectrum. Closer “Bone Amber Reigns” is a perfect 9+ minute summary to the album, encapsulating the very readily-evident maturity and restraint Kerretta have skillfully employed.