REVIEW: Kublai Khan TX – Exhibition of Prowess [2024]
Artist: Kublai Khan TX
Album: Exhibition of Prowess
Everyone knows what prowess is—it’s one of those things we can recognize, but not always clearly define. For those unaware, prowess holds two common meanings; the first is obvious—a high level of skill in a particular field. The second is similar but more specific; bravery and skill in battle. With those meanings in mind, Kublai Khan TX (further simplified to Kublai Khan) are on the verge of unleashing their long-awaited follow-up to 2019’s Absolute and 2022’s Lowest Form of Animal, aptly titled Exhibition of Prowess. Kublai Khan have been making violent, aggressive metalcore for well over a decade now, so it stands to reason they would be experts not only in their craft, but in battle—or at least withstanding the tests of time and trends alike. On Exhibition of Prowess, Kublai Khan lash out in their most primal form, bringing forth nothing but garish, blisteringly aggressive assbeater anthems for ten songs straight. Those looking for frills, technicality or ethereality—keep on looking, because Kublai Khan set out with a very specific mission on Exhibition of Prowess: to remind the world just how good they are at no-bullshit metalcore.
And boy, did they deliver.
Now, while I do mean what I wrote when I said listeners seeking technicality aught to look elsewhere, that doesn’t mean that all Kublai Khan do are ones-and-zeros breakdowns. There are definitely breakdowns, but they are expertly strung together with blistering leads and groove-tinted riffs that make each song, no matter how short, feel fluid and complete. From the records jumping off point, “Supreme Ruler,” Kublai Khan demonstrate this expertly—bouncy and energetic percussion serves as the lattice for low, booming chugs. Meanwhile, lead single “Theory of Mind,” as well as anthemic metalcore powerhouse “Darwinism” both show off their fair share of dancy two-step segments and uproarious riffs—without skimping on chug-heavy moments of primal fury. Moments like those at the beginning of “Theory of Mind” are where Kublai Khan have historically done well and truly shine on Exhibition of Prowess—that tedious intersection between pummeling the listener to death with chugs and forcing them to strap on their dance shoes for a fleet-footed two-step. “X” is another song that exemplifies this, spending its brief entirety walking the thin line between a pit full of two-steps and a pit full of spin-kicks. None of this is truly new to Kublai Khan—this is the dynamic they’ve proudly boasted across several releases now—but this is arguably the best they’ve ever done it. Every song is to-the-point without feeling too brief or short-changing the listener, and the songs where they do expand on their sound and riff a little harder (“Cannibal” or “Darwinism”) feel that much better for it. The flip-side of the coin is that the record’s shorter songs—especially “Antpile 2”—are some of the most instrumentally vicious cuts the band has released. In fact, the one-two punch of “A Hopeless Fate” into “Antpile 2” is one for the metalcore record books, and a salvo that precious few venues could likely withstand.
Kublai Khan’s vocal element is another prime example of “if it aint broke, don’t fix it.” Frontman Matthew Honeycutt continues to do exactly what he does best with no shortage of “shit,” “bitch” or “God damn” exclamations to boot. In keeping with the record’s title, many of the songs on Exhibition of Prowess see Honeycutt stepping back with some his more socially conscious lyrical themes in favor of belting out line after line of pure vitriol, intense enough to make the listener want to open-hand smack their mother. This is held in juxtaposition against songs like “Mud” and “Theory of Mind” that speak more on personal experience and other more thoughtful themes—giving the listener a well-rounded lyrical experience. “X” is another surprise—as I’m not sure I had Kublai Khan delivering a 45-second straight edge assbeater on my 2024 bingo card—but it is certainly a happy surprise if anything. In brief, Honeycutt still does exactly what he does best without frills or filler—and thats totally fine with me.
Kublai Khan’s Exhibition of Prowess is another outstanding example that a record does not have to be technical, genre-blending or game-changing to be excellent, or even be fun—and this record is both. Kublai Khan deliver just about a half hour of pure energy delivered by riff, groove, breakdown and chug alike, and every second is a 2 mg epinephrine jab to the dome—I can’t think of anything more I would want from a metalcore record.
9/10
For Fans Of: Justice for the Damned, Knocked Loose, Judiciary, Pain of Truth
Connor Welsh
