Kärgeräs

Kärgeräs is the album where Root opts for a change in style to a more epic and operatic sound rooted more closely in the old heavy metal that already made up a significant part of their sound, albeit this time around Root strives for something that sounds very grand and positive unlike the much darker and gloomier albums that would make up the rest of the Root discography. It revolves around a fantasy story dreamt up by Big Boss about a strange race of prehistoric creatures and their society, the Nation of Kärgeräs with its story providing the focus for the album. On musical terms, there's no black metal in this at all. Much of this is very epic and doesn't become super dark except at a few points near the end (which still sound very epic), with the music going for a tone for fantasy rather than the occult. It's based more in traditional heavy metal and more melodic as a result. Seeing Root express positivity is strange, but Kärgeräs proves a satisfying piece regardless.

The first pieces on Kärgeräs do a lot to show what this is about. Melody intensive riffs and soaring harmonies and solos are what shape the strange and mystical world of Kärgeräs and the soundscapes layered upon it. Many of the songs involved are simple fare with a decent rhythm and structure. The most epic song out of all of them is "Kärgeräs" where its rising sound towards the end and joyous solos do a lot to draw you in and give the song loads of energy. "Old Woman" also has a lot of great progressions and a stomping, doomy tone to it. The use of sparse acoustic guitars hints at a multilayered approach, albeit one that isn't fully realized and made exceptionally grandiose until their later album, The Book. It adds a lot of mystique to the already grand atmosphere here, but like the rest of this album, it could go further. While Kärgeräs is very nice, some more shifts in mood and tempo, as well as a thicker atmosphere would be welcome. Big Boss has yet to truly unleash the operatic power of his voice, but the performance he gives on here is still commendable as it adds to the "epic story" feeling with his wizened vocals. There's so much here that sounds great, but could be so much better with more density and presence. For Root's first shot at epic metal, Kärgeräs still feels like a first shot, but a damn good one.

This is an album that I like, but I wanted to like more. There's times when the melodies, solos, vocals, and acoustic bits really draw me in. There's also a lot of the album that keeps the same tone and tempo, as well as a lot that sounds like "regular ol' metal" that could've been jazzed up quite a bit more. I still enjoyed singing along with the line and melody of "proud nation Kärgerääääs!" or banging my head and shouting with Big Boss on "Rodäxx". It's a fun album for what it tries to be and it's certainly unexpected to hear Root being this upbeat, especially considering what came before and after Kärgeräs. I'd still say this is a good album and I'm happy I heard it. Old school metal fans might even get more of a kick out of this. And with that being said, we cross the border out of where ancient Kärgeräs used to be.

This is by far my second favorite “Root” album (after the “Book”). Its epic and monumental character, combined with flawless musicianship and originality creates the unique style of the band which will be clearly recognizable on its consecutive albums.

“Kargeras” tells a story a story of a fictional race and bears no resemblance to the occult themes so strongly associated with “Root.” The music, however, is no less dismal and gloomy. Furthermore, the conceptual character of the band’s work adds more solidity and grandeur to the overall quality of the album.

“Kargeras” is a strong step forward from the band’s previous opus – “Hell Symphony.” The music has become more structured, solid, less fast but more profound and impressive. Each song features a specific melody or a few, as opposed to a more black oriented “Hell Symphony.” Guitars are brilliant, which makes me strongly admire “Blackie” – guitarist and major composer of “Root’s” music (until 2004). Everything he does with guitar is awesome: genius riffs, mindblowing solos, acoustic passages (sheer brilliance!), and individual notes and sounds – it all sounds perfect and creates an unforgettable atmosphere of a dark epic.

“Big Boss’s” vocals are a trademark of the band, and “Kargeras” is the album that established it. His singing is clear and yet malicious and evil. He does it all: silent whispers and furious exclamations, monotonous incantations and almost opera-like vocals, which go along with the music ideally.

In general, the album is a product of a very meticulous work by all of the musicians. Every note, despite of what vivid composition it is a part of, has a sole meaning. Nonetheless, it does not make “Kargeras” an overworked or overproduced piece of music. It is new and fresh, even today, in 2007, ten years after release.

To sum it up, “Kargeras” has established a unique style of “Root” as an epic, dark and non-conventional. Its musicianship is flawless and vocals are unbelievable. To all the admirers of heavy music with an open mind this album is recommended. It is certainly a jewel in my collection.

This concept album transcends categories, but I will nonetheless try to say something useful about it. But the most useful thing I can say right here is this: You simply have to hear it.

Kärgeräs is the result of four years of intensive work by two geniuses of metal, vocalist and poet Big Boss (Jiri Valter) and guitarist/composer Petr "Blackie" Hošek. Both went on to do great things, but both said that this is the album into which they put the most work. So much work, in fact, that the liner notes announce the final breakup of the band, blamed on Blackie's insistance that every detail be just right. Luckily, Root mended fences afterwards.

The first thing that strikes the listener of Kärgeräs is that it's a concept album. The "proud nation Kärgeräs" is, as far as I can tell, a place born from the fertile mind of Big Boss. The story is just an outline, told in first person by several of the people (and one monster) who took part in the tragic demise of Kärgeräs.

Every single one of the songs is a masterpiece. What makes them masterpieces is not that they each have a million different parts and riffs. The songs are not simplistic, but they have been so refined by years of work that each one forms an artistic unit in which text, vocals and guitar work combines into an organic whole. Much of the brilliance is subtle. The singing of Big Boss, which can be a bit over-the-top in some of his other work, is restrained and chillingly calm in the unfolding of Kärgeräs. When lesser bands try to convey complex moods with music, it is almost always cheesy and embarassing. In this case, it's absolutely brilliant. It's not just the emotive voice of Big Boss that makes it work. In every song, Blackie crafts dynamic little guitar riffs which might be hard to notice at first, because they just fit so well into the songs. In the title song, for example, the depth of sadness is amplified by stuff that the guitar does behind the singing. It adds dignity and strength to the sadness. In "Dygon," Blackie does a quick churning little riff while Big Boss ominously repeats the word "destruction" - and the combined effect really evokes the image of a mindless monster thrashing about in the ancient cities of a helpless people. These are just two examples of the sort of attention to detail which every song on the album receives.

In a word, this album is good. For all that, it's not exactly black metal. The vocals sound ominous, but more operatic than black. There are no scorching beats or gallops. The whole project seems too epic for these things to fit. Instead, the music seems timeless and yes, maybe even ancient. Which is exactly what was intended. In short, this is a masterpiece, and Root would be famous for it had they been Scandinavian or American. Instead, they are from the musical backwater of Eastern Europe, where the vast majority of metal bands are terrible. Well, this album, as well as Black Seal and The Book, are simply great by any standard, some of the best music ever recorded.