Knife World – Buried Alone: Tales of Crushing Defeat

Keen, pointy and distinctly shiny sharp, Knife World is the latest project of Kavus Torabi, current Cardiacs guitarist, Guapo member and one time of Monsoon Bassooner.As you might expect from someone who has spent a good deal of his time in bands that have drifted around the more esoteric edges of the music scene, Buried Alone”¦ is a rather challenging and thoroughly endearing listen.Introduced with a shimmering guitar line and a thudding bass note, 'Singled Out For Battery' starts the album in stunning form. Torabi’s vocals contrasting with Mel Woods childlike chant beautifully before things start racing towards a more frenetic build up. Complex guitar lines intertwine with piano and eventually some distinctly ELO infused keyboard, as Torabi takes off and heads for space.No sooner have we reached the outer limits than Knife World hit us with 'The Wretched Fathoms' with a pulverising metallic introduction that soon gives way to a more serene verse. Guitars that sound more like a tormented seagull than any kind of instrument herald the crashing waves of guitars once again. From the earth, to the stars and back down to the choppy waters of the sea within the space of five minutes; Knife World do their damnedest to take you on one hell of a journey.'Corpses Feuding Underground' is nowhere near as dark as you might expect, despite the creaky Munsters guitar intro, a sweet vocal melody begins to develop augmented by a clever saxophone line. As the song continues it pauses for a quaint jig before it heads down a blind alley where repetition is nothing but pure joy.Despite this being a solo project in all but name Torabi isn’t averse to letting others take centre stage ”“ check the fine female vocal lead on the folk infused 'Severed of Horsehoof' for evidence of this. With clever inclusion of bells, wind instruments and those gorgeous vocals it’s one of the highlights of the album.Part of the appeal of Knife World comes with the ideas that are often thrown out seemingly at random throughout these songs before familiar motifs take the reigns again. It’s a trick employed by Cardiacs songwriter Tim Smith to great effect, and one that Torabi appears equally at home with. It could all seem a little too contrived and angular in lesser hands, but Torabi’s compositional skills are challenging and light of touch.The stunning 'No More Dying' is a composite of so many styles it is frightening. The rhythm of a steam engine drives its various sections that touch on elements of folk, metal, punk and prog rock. Its scope is so wide and far reaching that it’s almost cinematic in feel. It’s a distinct achievement.Recent single 'Pissed Up On Brake Fluid' is one of the more straightforward songs here. Racing off like an old Husker Du track and fulfilling all those aggressive impulses that have been straining at the leash throughout the album this is Knife World at their most full on. That said, there’s still time for some sweet vocal melodies too. It’s the melodies that pepper the album that prevent it from becoming a muddle. No matter how many twists and turns are taken over the course of Buried Alone, the vital inclusion of melody and stunning harmonies are central to these songs being a success. It’s all well and good creating clever music, but if there no heart, or if the head and the heart aren’t connected then it will flounder. Knife World never flounder, they just confound the senses and make you thankful that there are some songwriters who are not content with producing route-one music.Closing the album is the wonderfully dreamy 'Me To The Future of You, which wouldn’t have been out of place on the Cardiacs' Sing To God album. It mixes up math rock tendencies with some wonderfully undulating keyboards during the more introspective moments. It just keeps building and building gently like a hymn towards a thoroughly satisfying climax and as the door starts to slowly swing shut on Knife World, it is impossible not to want to kick it in and start the whole thing all over again. 78%Knife World on MySpace