Krankschaft are the trio of Steve Pond on guitar, synths and vocals, Alex Tsentides on bass and Kevin Walker on drums. I’m sure many readers will be acquainted with Pond from Inner City Unit and Robert Calvert’s Maximum Effect band. Three is their latest and features an ass kicking set of high energy ROCK!
The album opens on a potent note with the 10+ minute Dark Energy, a smokin’ hot Hawk styled Space Rocker. It’s got killer rocking guitar and a high energy propulsive beat that draws our attention to the rock ’em sock ’em BLANGA! on the album cover. But it’s also got cosmically pastoral Space-Prog segments that provide a bit of meditative drift before once again cranking up the pace. Day Of The Quake is a treat, being what is apparently a previously unrecorded Robert Calvert song which Krankschaft turn into a monster slab of Space-Punk. Come Fly With Us is the only other non-Pond penned song of the set. It rocks hard, has a nice catchy melody and a nifty synth interlude that transitions to a hot ‘n’ heavy Space-Punk jam. Jetpack is a beautifully melodic tune, both vocals and guitar, and one of the more sedate songs of the set. Ditto for Silent Witness, which gently rock hard and has a bit of a 70s Glam edge. For pure melodic song and hard rocking anthem quality Moon is a highlight, being one of those tunes that would make an auditorium full of people leave their cell phones in their pockets and raise their old Bic lighters high. Sheep is a space infused 70s influenced hard rocker that pulls no punches in its criticism of those who blindly and unquestionably follow the norm. Finally, Who What Why is a blistering rocker that will get those same Bic flicking fans on their feet dancing and head bopping.
In summary, Krankschaft crank out a damn fine set that combines Hawkwind styled Space Rock, Space-Punk, 70s Hard Rock and bits of Prog and Glam. It’s got well composed songs, great jamming instrumental segments, and is well recorded and arranged, with an essential focus on guitar and bass ATTACK during the harder rocking moments. Genre descriptions aside, this is an excellent all around ROCK album. I’ll bet these guys kick serious ass live. A shoe-in for my Best of 2015 list.
For more information visit the Krankschaft web site at: http://krankschaft.com
Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz