Formed in Dubai during the 2020 pandemic, Karman Line have already been championed by various rock music outlets, including Classic Rock Magazine and online portal Loudwire. If you’ve not yet caught up with the band, their brand new single ‘Come Undone’ is the perfect place to dive in.
Inspired by the tensions in the Middle East, according to the band, the single is “darker and heavier” than anything they’ve shared before, and also “feels like a strong indication of where [the Karman Line] sound is heading next”.
It may be darker and heavier, but ‘Come Undone’ certainly isn’t without bags of melody. Against a howling guitar tone, the intro sets something interesting in place when a circular guitar riff works a strong melody against a busy drum part. Heavy on the toms, the rhythm owes more to Barrett Martin’s work with Tuatara than any more obvious rock influences. The arrival of a vocal lends a slight Alice In Chains vibe, then Karman Line branch out to share a perfect blend of classic sounding hard rock and retro alternative that makes the entire band sound vital.
The overall sound resembles the brief period in the 90s when big haired 80s bands like Dokken toughened up, something that’s certainly amplified by Frank Bassiouni’s love of a very old school lead guitar break, but the moodier edge to the vocal should still please lovers of a post-grunge sound. Although the tight arrangement and the tone of the music takes centre stage throughout – this is far more complex than an immediate ear-catcher or rock radio filler – the questioning and sometimes despairing lyric captures the mood of a more thoughtful rock band, and the way vocalist Greg Brown uses the melody to rise from a darker alternative sound and into a genuine melodic metal influenced cry on the main refrain also showcases a band who instinctively know how to create decent sounding hooks.
This is definitely a step forward for Karman Line. ‘Come Undone’ is a melodic metal offering that should appeal to a broad range of rock fans on the lookout for new sounds. Take a listen to the full track below.