Kaptain Kollnot is the solo project of Michigan native Jeff Kollnot. The veteran musician has been playing in bands for the last 25 years. He’s also played music on multiple recordings over the decades. Kollnot is known for playing guitar in the power thrash band Blackgate, as well as the progressive band, Flood the Desert. He’s been the opening act for such artists as Black Dahlia Murder, Overkill, Symphony X and Animals as Leaders. His latest four-song EP, Future Human, was influenced by power, thrash, death and progressive metal. The theme of the recording is research and real world experiences with the pilots of the UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena). Other artists who assisted Kollnot (guitars, bass and keyboards) were Stu Block on vocals, and Ryan Hey on drums and production. Artist Katie Gotch did the cover art for the EP.
The opening track “Black Star Alliance” is an instrumental, and good god if there isn’t a crazy amount of the most fluid guitar playing you’ll ever hear and double bass drum action, too. The production is heavy, big and bold and the mix of music is both thrash and progressive metal. Lots of melodious, anthem-like guitar playing can be heard here for sure. On the next track “Demon of Retribution” you’ll hear more fast action on the guitar and double bass drums. No shortage of head banging here (if your neck can manage it that is). There’s also some great bass playing, too. Stu Block certainly has the pipes for this kind of music – man, what a range for highs to lows, and back again.
Next up is “Exodus from Orion” and it begins with a marching cadence on the snare and a spacey effects sound of the guitar. Kollnot’s guitar sound on this tune is full and warm – a more traditional metal style I’d say. This song is one part instrumental (in the opening and during the solo break) and one part storytelling. It’s about this sister race who needs human DNA (I’m guessing) to keep their race alive. This “sister race” are from “Millenia ahead of your kind” and they’ve “come from Orion / so their species can thrive.” This other race gives us a warning in the song – “Before you traverse the stars / your savage ways must be left behind / it’s too great a risk to let you go / you must become civilized.” I think what gives this number a greater dynamic and more complexity is when the band slows things down – pretty cool overall.
For all you David Bowie fans, Kaptain Kollnot does his own rendition of “Starman” which can be heard in its original form on Bowie’s 1972 seminal work, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The cover version here has a heavy, warm bass sound and distorted guitar, but not too heavy on the distorted end. The vocal harmonies are phenomenal and very metal. The overall approach and production that Kaptain Kollnot does on this classic is layered with lots of great textures, but Kolllnot and company also stay true to the song’s original form. They also add their own creative liberties during the ending measures by extending beyond the original song’s duration. All in all, a dynamic and well-rehearsed EP from a seasoned music virtuoso.
Heather Savage