Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Lene kosti
Release: 2010
Rating: 4.5/5
Lene kosti are one of the most important chapters in Slovenian rock/metal history. Along with a handful of other bands, they brought something to Slovenia that our turf had never seen before – heavy metal! In the late seventies and early eighties, Lene kosti stirred up the waters of the Yugoslav music scene of the day, which was overflowing with syrupy schlager, punk and, admittedly, some good rock, and brought us the tradition of the heavy metal pioneers from abroad. Sadly, Lene kosti fell apart too soon, but the year before last, in the light of old, long-dead metal bands waking up all over the world, they returned to the music scene. Not long ago they put out the compilation Demo Tapes 1985-1987, and now the long-awaited first real full-length from the band is finally here – Do or Die, with which Lene kosti make a triumphant return to the scene.
Since revenge is a dish best served cold, Lene Kosti serve us a cold appetizer in the form of a proper heavy metal wrecking ball, Warrior. Razor-sharp riffs slice into the flesh without mercy right away and kick off the heavy metal battlefield. The guitar sound on Do or Die is ideal! The riffs are crystal clear and perfectly audible, and the Kavaš brothers’ catchy, melodic lines sit right where they belong in Lene kosti’s typical heavy metal, which is set apart from the classic Judas Priest school of heavy metal mainly by what you can already hear in the opening track. You spend a few moments working your neck to breakneck classic heavy metal guitars, and then the other side of Lene kosti is waiting around the corner – bluesy guitar “licks”, the atmosphere of delta blues and, at the same time, dirty boogie rock ‘n’ roll like you’d hear from the bearded uncles in ZZ Top. It’s a real trick that makes Lene kosti unique even on the world heavy metal stage. But if you think the guitars can surprise you, just wait until the wicked doctor Milan Krušič steps up. His lungs and vocal cords deliver a truly spectacular vocal performance. One moment Milan screeches like Halford on steroids, the next he growls like a rabid bulldog, and he especially shines with a completely clean voice, like the one you can hear in the boogie anthem Stones of Death. Milan’s vocals breathe soul into every single track, and his approach is perfectly tailored to the lyrics and feel of each one. In Warrior and Iron Dragon, Milan turns into a deranged general screaming orders all over the battlefield, in Stones of Death he sounds like a laid-back storyteller, and in Uninvited Guest and especially in the excellent Sunrise, he becomes his wicked, mysterious alter ego Dr. Evil, who, given the atmosphere of the song, is easy to picture as a “Southern” Devil, like the one Robert De Niro plays so brilliantly in Angel Heart. Sunrise is also where the first star guest shows up, as Mat Sinner (Sinner, Primal Fear) contributed dynamic bass lines to the song that give it a nicely lively and seriously “groovy” skeleton. Right in the middle of the album sprawls the fantastic instrumental The Sting, where producer Domen “D-y-z” Justin joins the Kavaš brothers on guitar and unleashes a spectacular, gate-crashing, breathtaking solo that lasts almost the whole song. This is probably the point where the mix of old-school heavy metal and modern production breathes best, since Dyz’s solo is superbly placed on the framework of eighties heavy metal, and there’s even room in the song for a classic drum solo. It’s young Miha Nedoh who gave Lene kosti that real wrecking power a proper heavy metal band needs, while Justin made sure Do or Die offers probably the best-sounding drums on the Slovenian rock/metal scene. The snare drums sound powerful, convincing and hard-hitting, and really come into their own in the well-thought-out fills, backed up by relentlessly torpedoing bass drums. One of the album’s best moments is the refreshed, rejuvenated acoustic ballad Blind in Love, in which Milan and Inez Osina (Brezno) clash in a chilling, heart-wrenching duet as lovers who, even though they love each other, no longer see a shared future. Krušič, in probably his best vocal performance, plays the broken lover whose girl, in the form of Inez’s angelic voice, can no longer return his love, even though she wishes she could. The harmonies, which Dyz helps with too, are fantastically sung, and Inez takes Blind in Love to another level with a flute that takes over the vocal lines at the end of the song. Russian Girl, a classic, tells a slightly different love story, and Milan always introduces it live by asking whether we’ve had a Russian girl yet. Not yet, but judging by the lyrics, I wouldn’t say no, haha. Besides offering the best lyric in the history of Slovenian rock – “We’re dancing all night kazachok, but in my bed it’s playing rock” – the already beloved Russian Girl is enriched by the myth and legend Manni Schmidt (ex-Grave Digger) with an excellent solo. In the intro to Time For Love, Grega Brenko’s great-sounding bass breaks through, strongly reminiscent of the bass intro to the Megadeth classic Peace Sells… In Rock Power, Milan once again reminds us how Rob Halford would sound if he were wired just a little differently, while Play With Fire, apart from its excellent chorus, is probably the weakest moment on the album, mostly because of the slightly odd, too cheerful-sounding main riff. But the slightly bitter aftertaste gets fixed by dessert at the end (since we started with food, let’s finish with it too) – the orgasmic anthem Do Or Die, which sprawls out with excellent riffing, an incredible Krušič, and such a good chorus that even the song itself comes at the end!
Do or Die is packed with wrecking-ball heavy metal, sharp, razor-honed guitar riffs, drum bombardment and just the right amount of sick, screeching vocals, proving that heavy metal is very much alive here too! In fact, the only flaw of the album is that it contains as many as nine tracks you could already hear on the compilation Demo Tapes 1985-1987. But those tracks are classics that deserved a proper studio treatment, and on Do or Die they come to life in a completely new light. And since the band’s new creations like Nightmare, Sunrise and The Sting sound this good, going by the “we want more!” principle I’d love to hear more of the newer songs. That only makes the next studio release from Lene kosti all the more anticipated. With Do or Die, Lene kosti have proved their bones are more than well limbered up – what’s more, they’re ready for several marathons in a row!
Lineup
Milan “Dr.Evil” Krušič – vocals
Marc Kavaš – guitar
Giovanni Kavaš – guitar
Grega Brenko – bass
Miha “Bomber” Nedoh – drums
Production
Domen Justin
Track list
1. Warrior
2. Nightmare
3. Stones of Death
4. Uninvited Guest
5. I Got the…
6. Sunrise
7. The Sting
8. Iron Dragon
9. Blind in Love
10. Russian Girl
11. Time For Love
12. Rock Power
13. Do Or Die
