Konquest – Dark Waters Review

[Cover artwork by Luca “Zeero” Zironi]

There was always something uniquely charming about Konquest’s brand of traditional heavy metal—an almost whimsical breeziness that still felt like a near perfect balance of playful and substantive. A long-lost Italian cousin to Sweden’s Heavy Load, perhaps. Just as easily played in the car as dissected at home. That all-purposeness has served Konquest well. And with Dark Waters, the band’s third full-length, I was hoping for much of the same.

Not that the band had ever given cause for concern, but Dark Waters certainly delivers on the promise of Konquest’s two prior records. Same whimsical breeziness. Same near perfect balance of those disparate elements that make Konquest’s take on traditionalism compelling. Deceptively simple—the kind of “simple” borne from either a whole lot of thought and preplanning about feel, impression, and songcraft, or just the natural collision of ideas that, as fate would have it, sticks the landing. I suspect a combination of the two.

As tradition would demand, Dark Waters continues Konquest’s history of eight-song albums. Here, as with Time and Tyranny, and The Night Goes On before it, you’re treated to seven relatively shorter tracks and an epic closer (“Kubla Khan (A Vision in a Dream)”). Opener “Turn the Lights Off” is a vibe setter if there ever was one, establishing the aforementioned breezy tone early. Of the other six shorter tracks, it delivers the most immediate punch, which is why it’s as effective as it is as an opener—I don’t know that it would have made as much sense elsewhere on the album. Consistent with a few other songs here, the rhythm or pace isn’t too far removed from punk, toying with early NWOBHM aesthetics.

The second track, “Mindwanderer,” is as emblematic of the general impression Dark Waters leaves as any song on the album. Mostly midpaced with a sing-a-long chorus and a killer riff in the driver’s seat. “Mindwanderer” is in keeping with Konquest’s breezy ethos and keeps the listener’s interest with a particularly strong lead toward its end.

Of the remaining four shorter tracks, the title track and “Man with a Stone” resonate strongest. The anthemic feel of the former is appropriately distinctive and the latter is the riffiest song on an album rooted in the riff—easily one of my favorite Konquest tunes.

The epic “Kubla Khan (A Vision in a Dream)” is Konquest’s crowning achievement. Though it changes pace about two minutes in, its longer, more atmospheric introduction would sound more at home on Iron Maiden’s Brave New World or The Final Frontier. And there are enough similarly progressive touches throughout that the song itself feels notably different from the other seven shorter tracks. The sheer scale of a tune like “Kubla Khan” towers above the rest of Dark Waters; you can’t but want more songs in this vein.

Summarily, Dark Waters is another clear winner for Konquest. In times of uncertainty, there’s something to be said for a world which appreciates both consistency in quality and welcoming familiarity. With their third full length, Konquest may not have created that world, but they have certainly expanded on it.