Capture & Release

Khanate is the sound of true doom metal -- where the songs are torturously slow and excruciatingly drawn out (their albums only feature a handful of songs, due to each one's extended length). On their first release for the Hydra Head label (and third full-length overall), 2005's Capture and Release, Khanate has somehow managed to outdo themselves, by issuing a single album comprised of only a pair of tracks that clocks in at nearly 45 minutes -- something Yes didn't even accomplish back in their heyday. In fact, Khanate has more in common with free-form jazz improvisers from yesteryear, as it appears as though the quartet focuses more on feeding off each other more than following any set song structure. And as evidenced by both tracks, "Capture" and "Release," Khanate likes to stick to the original game plan from start to finish -- indecipherable/screamed vocals and sludgy, single-note guitar drones are the group's obsession. ~ Greg Prato