Kris Barras Band
Monsters We Made
Earache Records
If you are hearing the Kris Barras Band for the first time and are yet to make their acquaintance, you might not be surprised to learn that band founder Kris Barras is a former MMA fighter. That’s because Kris has brought much of his previous vocation to this project with the eleven tracks comprising the latest album, Monsters We Made, rolling like a prizefighter. Case in point being the opening (and title) cut, a groove-laden number that’s at once heavy and lithe; it’s fleet of foot but packs a potent punch and immediately puts the listener on the ropes. The band form a tight unit, handling all the time changes with deft precision, meaning that even when they ease off the gas (such as on ‘Unspoken’) there’s no discernible drop in power. Lyrically, too, the album is all about taking up the fight, whether tackling private demons or overcoming the adversities life constantly throws up. Aided by a bold, brash production, Monsters We Made is an album that gets up close and personal, every word stinging and each beat connecting with full force. In Monsters We Made, the Kris Barras Band have created a colossus.
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Review by Peter Dennis