By way of introductory remarks, let me state Kalandra are not strictly speaking metal. They are most normally referred to as playing some mix of folk, alternative, pop, and prog. Yet at such times we ask what is metal? Is it about heaviness? An ethos? Similarity to other metal bands? On A Frame of Mind, Kalandra produce something alienated and questioning, something balanced between heavy and frail. Throw in a tendency to tour with metal acts and Kalandra is at the very least roaming through the fuzzy borderlands of the genre.
Opening track “I Am” is a fine example of this. The first half of the song is singer Katrine Stenbekk‘s tale of introspective sorrow over folk guitars that grow steadily more forceful until a heavy post-something riff cuts through and takes over the song. This constant push and pull between wistful sadness and stormy agitation defines A Frame of Mind, creating a soundscape that is beautiful and bleak. Stenbekk‘s voice is the focal point of Kalandra‘s sound and while she shines most when it’s ethereal and yearning, she can adapt as needed. She soars to meet the swelling strings of “The State of the World”. She adopts a sibilant, choral quality for “Bardaginn” that compliments the industrial rhythms and moody folk melodies. Sometimes the instruments get to take the lead, as with the hopeful shimmering synths of “I’ll Get There One Day” and the big chords of “Segla”, and when they do I find myself wishing A Frame of Mind leaned on them more. Stenbekk is a great vocalist, but Kalandra is more interesting when using all of its elements.
As Stenbekk quietly sings ‘And we’ll forgive each other’ on closer “I Remember A Time”, I find myself returned to everyday life with a calmer mind. A huge part of metal’s appeal is the way it lets us step outside reality for a moment and vent all our frustrations through listening. Kalandra do that on A Frame of Mind (albeit a great deal less violently) and do it well. It’s why so many metalheads do and will get on with them and why they’ve got a good shot at getting really big in the mainstream too.
