Review: Killbot – Sound Surgery EP
A couple of months ago I got the chance to have a chat with heavy hitting dubstep producer and Ultragore headman, Sluggo. He said some very interesting things during our interview but it was clear that the thing he was the most excited about was his upcoming project called Killbot.
Killbot was formed in January of this year when Korn’s lead singer, Jonathan Davis aka J-Devil, heard Sluggo’s song “Dark Crystal”. As a huge fan of the movie the song is named after, J-Devil immediately got on the phone with Sluggo and invited him to come out to his house to collaborate on some tracks. On the way there Sluggo picked up fellow dubstep producer and friend, Tyler Blue. Within a few hours of studio time, there was an obvious chemistry between the three and the monster now known as Killbot was born.
The trio’s debut EP (out on Dim Mak), Sound Surgery, is a loud warning shot to everyone in heavy bass music. The four tracks that make up this release are honestly some of the heaviest, filthiest tracks I have heard in recent memory. I should have expected nothing less coming from metalstep pioneers Sluggo and Tyler Blue but it still caught me a bit off guard. As good as the electronic production is, the vocals by the legendary J-Devil and overall metal vibe are the aspects that will really set this release and group apart from the rest of the crowd.
The first and title track, “Sound Surgery”, is a bouncy moombahton rager. It serves as a solid warm up track without fully unleashing the filth. On the next track, “Feel Alive”, we finally get to hear the famous vocals of J-Devil contrast with a dark and heavy dubstep drop. J-Devil adds a whole different dimension to the track and album as a whole. Without his vocals it would still be good but with them in the mix, it becomes something else entirely.
“Wrecked” is the lead single and for good reason. As if having metal and dubstep on the same EP wasn’t enough, this track also includes some vocal hip-hop elements as well. This is one that will undoubtedly get the heads banging and the pits moshing. The final track, “I’ll Fuck It”, is my personal favorite. The metal guitar riff, bassline (both laid down by J-Devil) and the soft chanting of ‘I’ll fuck it’ create a memorable buildup into an insane drumstep drop that could immediately wake me up even on the worst of mornings.
Killbot resoundingly hit the mark with their debut EP. To be honest, I was a little skeptical about the project when I first started hearing about it but the goods were definitely delivered as promised. Unlike many side projects, it would appear that the trio wants to make Killbot a permanent fixture in their careers. “I’m not in this as a passing phase or some bullshit like that,” says JDevil. “I’ve been into electronic music my whole life. This is my opportunity to stir shit up. We’re here to stay.”
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