Vehement punk rock with an edge of metal and an unrelenting tempo – Kārtël raise the volume and the pulse, with the topical and stylistic grit of a Spanish-sung Punaladas.
Exploding onto the space with a high-octane pace and a perfectly produced combination of distorted guitars, bass, and drums, Punaladas soon weaves in an equally fitting vocal lead – a voice bursting with passion, performing at the peak of the singer’s ability; almost presenting with the roar of metal but more closely holding on to that old-school punk rock delivery style.
The track, as such, feels like both a protest song and a simple outburst of emotion and rhythm. The rhythm is key, maintaining this piercing arrangement of lyrics as we follow the fast riff and power-chord pattern of the underlying track.
At just two minutes in full, Punaladas (translating as ‘Stab Wounds’) utilises only a handful of essential elements, to carve out a sound that proves unmistakable as you make your way through the rest of the Kārtël catalogue. There’s also a distinct structure to appreciate, tipping its hat to the punk rock of the nineties and early 2000s, for that subtle but essential verse-chorus set-up – detectable for the most part from the clear shift in the guitar pattern.
A fierce and unforgettable introduction, to a band whose passion and conviction at the helm is second to none. This feels like punk rock born of a true need to express feelings and ideas in this way, a careful balance of enjoyment and an unrelenting desire to make sense of the space, and that authenticity and identity makes all the difference.
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