THE BEAST

Kekal - Eternitarian: The Essential Kekal 1995—2022 - Reviewed By Metal Digest ! Check it out https://metal-digest.com/2023/09/25/kekal-eternitarian/

           Stick avant-garde in front of anything and it is guaranteed to make most people recoil in some sort of vampire style-esque comedic movement. One band which has had nigh on 30 years of extreme avant-garde metal are Kekal and this year has the Indonesian legends releasing ‘Eternitarian’, a compilation which portrays the band from their humble beginnings through to the modern day.

                For the avid Kekal fan, ‘Eternitarian’ is pretty much everything you could hope for. Whether you have every album or have never heard the band before, ‘Eternitarian’ offers everything from fan favourites through deep cuts as well as rare and unreleased tracks. This is a band which has evolved massively over the years, from straight punk infused extreme metal beginnings through extreme progressive metal moments into electronic musings, ‘Eternitarian’ offers the Kekal fan the chance to explore the bands other era’s which may or may not have been overlooked by those fans of Kekel who focus specifically on one era.

                This is a great compilation to not only explore Kekal, but also really get your teeth into. Whether you’re new to the Kekal cause or want to get into them, then ‘Eternitarian’ is a good shout because if there is anything that can your extreme metal love going, then it is 31 tracks clocking in a just under three hours of pure, unadulterated Kekal. Metal Digest

Release Date: 03 / 03 / 2023

FFO: Soleluna, Replicant, Veilburner

Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

"Eternitarian" is a best-of compilation album from Kekal. It features 31 tracks clocking at almost 3 hours spanning 27 years worth of Kekal's music, with select material taken from the band's entire 13 full-length albums, 3 EPs, and also their very first 1995 demo tape. Presented in this free or donation-based digital-download only release are the band’s old-time favourites as well as highlights from newer material and previously unreleased alternate-mixes.

This is a special release that has been requested frequently because there are music lovers out there that have some interest in checking out Kekal but haven't got a chance to hear the music yet (and don't know where to start), also the majority of Kekal's regular listeners tend to listen only one particular "era" of the band. "Eternitarian" serves the purpose of introducing the entire Kekal's discography with highlights from every album and EPs from their 90s period to 2022. It is not only limited to work as a mere introductory sampler. It can also work as an 'essential' Kekal playlist because every track is carefully picked based on listeners' favourites and reviewers' “best picks”.

Formed in 1995 as a more straight-forward extreme metal band with punk-influenced attitude, Jakarta - Indonesia-based Kekal has been venturing deeply into the continuous exploration in creating music for over 27 years now. Their monumental 4th album "1000 Thoughts of Violence" (2003) marked the beginning of their journey into the unknown, where they successfully blend their extreme metal basic energy with the enormous amount of progressive and experimental elements, but yet somehow— accessible. For Kekal, musical exploration is considered as one important method of self-actualization and part of a spiritual journey towards expansion.

Kekal is one of the first bands/musicians from Indonesia to gain international presence in the early and mid 2000 by releasing albums in both North American and European markets, and the first band from Indonesia to tour Europe in March 2004—playing a string of live concerts in Germany, Netherlands and Sweden. Since 2009, Kekal has become a band with no official members, but its former member(s) still continue to make music and to release albums for Kekal, albeit as anonymous contributors that are not published as music performers.

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https://kekal.bandcamp.com
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