Formed in 2012 in Denver USA, doomed heavy metal outfit KHEMMIS has released a body of work which paints a unique portrait of the human condition, weaving together influences from all corners of the metal music world. They transcend the genre boundaries of traditional doom metal with their elegant yet dramatic compositions and diverse array of influences.
Debut record Absolution earned the group outright critical praise from the underground, including a place on Decibel’s “Top 40 Albums of the Year” list. Hunted broke down even more barriers, earning KHEMMIS widespread recognition. The record received glowing reviews at MetalSucks, Metal Injection and Pitchfork, as well as a spot in Rolling Stone’s “20 Best Metal Albums of 2016” list and Decibel’s highly sought after “Album of the Year” accolade. Not many bands out there can boast about being compared to the likes of THIN LIZZY, ZZ TOP, PARADISE LOST, MY DYING BRIDE and JUDAS PRIEST.
In 2018, after wrapping up the Decibel Magazine Tour with Enslaved, Wolves In The Throne Room and Myrkur, the excitement for KHEMMIS’ third album Desolation was palpable across the metal spectrum. From the stadium-sized opening notes of “Bloodletting” to the epic closer “From Ruin, ”it is immediately evident that KHEMMIS again put distance between themselves and their earlier influences to inform a sound that is singularly their own. Though undeniably influenced by doom and classic metal, to tag the quartet with those labels doesn’t do justice to what they’ve accomplished. Theirs is a perfect representation of modern heavy metal that integrates the past in a way only possible with the faculty of hindsight. The album earned widespread critical praise from the global metal press and marked the band’s first appearance on the Billboard charts. Tours with The Black Dahlia Murder and Pig Destroyer, a series of headlining North American tours, as well as appearances at Roadburn, Heavy Montreal, and Domination Fest in Mexico City, expanded the growing legion of Khemmis fans around the world.
Restlessly awakening from the depths of a feverish slumber, KHEMMIS has returned with their fourth full length studio album, Deceiver, arriving via Nuclear Blast Records in November 2021. Six tracks of soul-awakening heaviness encapsulate a project nearly three years in the making. While the lyrical themes of Deceiver–sorrow, pain, longing for hope–will no doubt be familiar to longtime fans, these songs display a broader collection of musical influences than on any other KHEMMIS record to date. With a title that reflects the internal struggles that many of us battle in our daily lives, Deceiver is a ferociously honest and appetizingly raw piece of musical artistry which has already earned universal acclaim from publications around the world, including Metal Hammer, Decibel Magazine, Kerrang!, and many more.
