Rock Music News: Khan, Creatures (2024)

“Slow” brings out the bass first by itself. In a few bars it is joined be spacey warbling and percussion, moving us along through this universe. Josh Bills’ vocals dip in, sounding a bit reminiscent of Eddie Vedder. The music is heavy on the trippy as we proceed. Halfway through, strong riffs drop in causing a sudden sea swell that temporarily unseats you. It is almost the five-minute mark before the rumbling starts in earnest, and when it does it is an earthshaker. “How Old” is probing, like a signal searching for a receiver. The loud parts in this song sound very industrial. “Follow” is the big dog of the set, weighing in at ten minutes. Different to the ones that came before, it starts out heavy, throwing itself around early. There is a lot going on here. What stuck with me most were the parts where the guitar took over – beautiful work.

Side two opens on “Eyes, Lungs, Arms, and Mind,” a quiet and creepy song. Maybe eerie is a better (and more accurate) word. The music is not necessarily sinister, but it is mystical. When it speeds up and goes heavy, the illusion is shattered. “Confusion” is the opposite of what the title implies, I think, as it is a nice demonstration of the band’s primary tools. The set closes on the title track. To me, this piece is the most sorrowful. Listening to it is a reflective experience so you are likely to have other feelings. It is a good wrap-up piece to finish off an excellent. Recommended.