By Greg Maki
Is mid-June too early to declare an album of the year? Probably so, but that’s the kind of reaction that Denver doom crew Khemmis elicits with its self-titled fifth full-length. After garnering near-universal praise for its previous LP, 2021’s “Deceiver,” the quartet—vocalist/guitarist Phil Pendergast, vocalist/guitarist Ben Hutcherson, drummer Zach Coleman and bassist David Small—has crafted a tighter collection of tunes this time around, more energetic, at times even upbeat, as it trades in more traditional metal influences. There remains an occasional blast of death metal and everything is drenched appropriately in a layer of doom, but if one were to ask what “Khemmis” sounds like, the answer is simple: heavy metal.
Produced by Dave Otero, this record is absolutely massive—huge walls of down-tuned guitars, thunderous bass and drums—without sacrificing depth, complexity and nuance (see the brief acoustic detours, which make everything around them hit even harder by comparison). The smooth vocal melodies and harmonies of Pendergast and Hutcherson sit comfortably atop the instrumentation, punctuated by the occasional death growl, drawing in the listener in almost hypnotic fashion.
Critics and fans throw the word “epic” around a lot, always in complimentary fashion but usually when it comes to songs of seemingly interminable length. Khemmis reaches those heights on an album with only one song topping six minutes. Not a second is wasted across these eight tracks, each of which hits with such impact that is virtually impossible to pick favorites. With its fantasy trappings, “Khemmis” would make an ideal soundtrack to your next “Dungeons & Dragons” campaign while also being perfect to simultaneously bang your head and vibe out to. In short, it’s everything that’s great about heavy metal.
Rating: 10/10
Nuclear Blast Records – June 12, 2026
LINKS:
Buy/save/stream “Khemmis.”
www.khemmisdoom.com
www.facebook.com/khemmisdoom
www.instagram.com/khemmisdoom
khemmis.bandcamp.com
YouTube channel
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