When Colossus dropped back in 2019, Madison Roseberry’s post-metal project Kosatka brought with it a deluge of ferocious atmospherics that engulfed the senses, like an overwhelming tsunami of spiralling melodies, crushing rhythm guitars and towering percussions. It was as close to perfect as you would find in the post-rock/post metal genres at that time, and it still stands head and shoulders above a lot of music that has come ever since.
In 2020, Madison stepped in up a gear once more with the release of Whelm, a 10-minute crusade through the realms of emotive and awe-inspiring post music……Then nothing, Kosatka lay dormant for close on three years. Thankfully that old saying of “all good things must come to an end” is a complete fabrication that’s littered with holes, because Kosatka has risen once more with a new single, Witness, and Madison has not only brought all those glorious melodic transitions we were accustomed to along for the ride, but there is also a darkness and an air of foreboding curdled up amongst this latest musical composition.
Witness opens with this menacing, wailing riff that steamrolls slowly over a crushing rhythm section as it plods and ponders through Kosaka’s well recognised lead solos, which sweep and corkscrew over everything. A piano laced piano section casts a dark, Cimmerian shadow over the track, reminding me of God Is An Astronaut’s Mortal Coil, from their Epitaph album. Those brooding and heavy-hearted riffs marry perfectly with those soft, sombre keys, bringing the whole track together, conjuring up a moment of sheer mystery and enchantment.
That harsh opening riff returns once more in the closing stages of the track along with that brow beaten bass guitar that absolutely crushes, bringing closure on a track that sees Kosatka return once again with all the dynamism we come to expect from Mr. Roseberry. Hopefully there’s more to come, but for now let’s just enjoy this glorious piece of post-metal.