Style: progressive metal (instrumental)
Recommended for fans of: Syncatto, Scale the Summit, Igorrr, Animals as Leaders
Country: France
Release date: 17 January 2025
Well-renowned for experimentation, progressive metal constantly mutates and expands upon itself, leading to an ill-defined definition; much like Potter Stewart’s definition of porn, “I know it when I [hear] it.” As a leading progressive metal expert, I could come up with a solid definition—or at least a list of criteria—and that definition would certainly include the use of non-standard instrumentation as a common trope of the genre. French band Ckraft have unleashed a hitherto never before heard combination of instruments: a standard instrumental metal power trio (guitar, bass, drums) with the augmented accordion and tenor saxophone.
There’s probably a reason that you’ve never heard this particular combination of instruments. Besides seeming completely gimmicky (and don’t get me started on how gimmicks are the single worst way to go about prog metal, although I suppose they can be an early ancestor of actual experimentation), the accordion and tenor saxophone do not mesh well. Moreover, the aggression required to sound metal is unflattering for the accordion, and blaring saxophone on top of overzealous accordion is, in a word, vexing. Add on your standard djent chugs and the whole shebang is a recipe for an awkward time. And yet, the djent chugs practically make the album more tolerable since they provide a much-needed break from the reeds and bellows.
Although Uncommon Grounds sounds like Igorrr without the intrigue, the core of the band is solid, utilizing the full talent of the Frenchmen. The standout performance has to be drummer William Bur who opens the album with a solo on “All You Can Kill” and only continues the momentum with a varied performance, holding down the fort even through intricate djent rhythms. When not mindlessly chugging, Antoine Morisot on guitars also demonstrates serious potential for something more interesting, as on the solo-y bit at the start of the album’s best track, “Misconstruction of the Universe.” The unusual instruments are much less abrasive, the two instead participating in some cutesy rhythmic interplay. On “Pageantrivia,” Morisot even uses a tone reminiscent of Plini, and believe me that when the guitars lead the din, Uncommon Grounds is at its best.
Also perplexing is Ckraft’s usage of Gregorian chant melodies, though I do find the inclusion interesting more than grating. Certainly not as impressive as Jan Garbarek & The Hilliard Ensemble’s legendary jazz/chant album Officium, Ckraft do succeed at mixing the two disparate styles. The comparison reveals what would save Uncommon Grounds from its almost painful-to-listen-to quality: these guys really would do better playing a jazzier prog rock, more chilled out approach. The metal aspect, particularly with the tenor sax just being nearly overblown, takes away from the group’s admittedly neato compositions—I lose out on the interesting counterpoint and more subtle aspects of the composition. Even the djent would be tolerable with a less harsh guitar tone, and Ckraft could probably let Bur still hammer away behind the kit as a difference in tone.
Although Uncommon Grounds doesn’t succeed at all for me, I admire the ambition—the quintet is an intriguing concept just missing the mark in execution. Even though I quipped there’s a reason this combination of instruments has never been used, Ckraft have the talent to pull it off on future releases with a more deft hand. Maybe one day I’ll look back on Uncommon Grounds and see it as a forebear for all the great accordion metal, or maybe this album will forever be a weird gimmick.
Recommended tracks: Misconstruction of the Universe, Pageantrivia
You may also like: Dysrhythmia, Pensées Nocturnes, A.M.E.N., La Suspendida, Spastic Ink, Sound Struggle
Final verdict: 4/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram
Label: independent
band in question is:
Charles Kieny – augmented accordion, composition
Théo Nguyen Duc Long – tenor saxophone
Antoine Morisot – electric guitar
Marc Karapetian – electric bass
William Bur – drums
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