Labeling themselves as “kitchen power rock’n’roll from Switzerland,” Charles In The Kitchen‘s Slice, Cook, Taste & Thrill is a fast-paced, melodic death machine full of character. Following a self titled release in 2015, the incredible variety of their latest record is compelling, and enjoyable. Founded in 2011, members David, Fabien, Michel, Maël, and Gino had a singular, unified vision: to play rock covers, in a kitchen, for just one gig—mercifully, they forgot about that.
Slice, Cook, Taste & Thrill opens with a quick, 2-minute track echoing that of a continually building chase scene. Tension in the vocals slowly progress, before a memorable tear through the end of the track, ending in a massive flare-up of energy. In “The Spleen Controversy”, Swiss accents bleed through, and ultimately relent to an impressively crafted guitar solo, later giving to shadow-like vocals that eventually fade out. Even parts of “Give Me A Chance” are a throwback to 80s-era ballads and chorus structures—although everything remains distinctly fresh and rewarding.
A mid-record intermission carries us to “Procrastination Is My Fight”, which truly feels like an inward facing conflict. Double-time, neutral (thanks, Switzerland) lyrical architecture again transitions into guitar rifts that lift the trance leftover from “Phenomenon”.
You should never make it known which child is your favorite. . .but “The Only Real Blossom” had me throwing aside tradition. Keeping with an easy to follow rhythm, the melody surrounding the chorus is dazing, fun, and a great departure from some of the grit (although fantastic) found both earlier in the record, and in “Fake Punks Know How To Cheat”.
Modern rock’n’roll feels gratified at the end of Slice, Cook, Taste & Thrill. It’s a lively, varied crack that generates a genuine optimism for the group’s potential—the ceiling was certainly raised.
Slice, Cook, Taste & Thrill is available on iTunes and Bandcamp.
Charles In The Kitchen posts plenty on Facebook.
