KVX – ‘Agenda Reveal’

By Liam Knowles

Nu-metal is still a dirty word to many people – but it’s easy to forget that some of the bands that came out of that era, like Deftones and System Of A Down, were bloody excellent. Leeds lads KVX (formerly known as Kovax) have taken the groove of the former, and the erraticism of the latter, and blended it with angular post-hardcore, math-rock, and unabashed Britishness to create ‘Agenda Reveal’, an EP that feels nostalgic without ever feeling derivative.

Over the course of 11 minutes KVX deliver four short, sharp flashes of high-energy musical output that never outstay their welcome, but still manage to convey plenty of interesting ideas in those short windows. Opener ‘Home’ blasts straight into a huge, Reuben-esque riff before vocalist Pete Freeth uses his versatile voice to detail his experience with a family member becoming terminally ill. This difficult subject also comes up on ‘Gurney’, another vibrant track that features a very British take on Serj Tankian’s often frantic style of vocal delivery. Despite the heavy lyrical content, ‘Agenda Reveal’ never feels dark or bleak. It’s a record of anger and frustration more than anything, but there’s a definite sense of catharsis in dealing with these unpleasant experiences through the medium of exhilarating, dynamic songs.

You’ll likely find that ‘Agenda Reveal’ is over before you’ve really had a chance to take it all in, and as such it benefits from multiple listens. Closing track and lead single ‘Nest’, for example, has some subtle polyrhythms and little flourishes that you might not notice first time around, so make sure you give it a few spins to get the most out of it. Overall, this is a cracking little release that should help KVX stand out in Yorkshire’s healthy and eclectic music scene.

LIAM KNOWLES

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