Artist: Kos
Country: USA
Label: Elf Eggs
Formats: Demo Tape
Year: 2026
Kos, one of the many projects by E., might be one of his most enigmatic musical endeavours so far. The two previously released demos sound quite different from one another, and this third one, ‘Cross Leech’ again gives the project a different twist. When you keep in mind that E. also has such bands and projects as Asiratic Lithomancy, Red Right Hand Of Plague, Thirsting Ampoule, Great Tribulation and the harsh Black/Noise outfits of Vëřťžîmbrÿġțžûmşțřě and Zkywbrezdreb, it is quite surprising he still seem to constantly have new ideas to keep Kos the shapeshifting entity it is today.
‘Demo MMXXV’, Kos’ debut demo, obviously released in 2025, was perhaps the most “traditional”. At least in terms of that it didn’t really seem to strive for new musical territories. Instead it offered a rather brutal and unpolished kind of Black/Death Metal that carried resemblances with bands such as Beherit or its modern-day equivalent, Witchcraft. With the following ‘Crawling Noxious Spells’, E. opted for a slightly more Punk-driven barbarity that, if you wanted to compare it, felt close to Akitsa and Bone Awl in both the musical and productional aesthetic.
With this third demo, E. once again challenges our senses and our imagination. Or, at least that’s the case if you’re trying to analyse the music. In a sense, ‘Cross Leech’ feels closer to the debut demo tape, but it is significantly more versatile. The demo kicks off with a riff blatantly copied from Black Sabbath (or Candlemass, if you will) and sets the mood for the entire almost 25-minute ride. Not to say that ‘Cross Leech’ is a Doom Metal affair completely, as the most important ingredient of Kos on this tape is still Black Metal, but for sure it’s a blend of the two genres. Sometimes its clearly more Black Metal oriented, but the slower sections are undeniably gloomy and harken back to the old and necro sounding Black/Doom Metal tradition from some 35 years ago. Let’s describe it as a mix of Goatlord, Mystifier, Samael and Necro Schizma.
Although all three Kos demos are equally good in terms of execution and all three offer a profound underground experience, I think ‘Cross Leech’ is the most well-rounded and accomplished effort to date. I particularly love this demo tape’s schizophrenic nature, going from wild, almost Angel Corpse/Bestial Warlust like frenzy to slow, ominous, keyboard-driven deliria. In other words, ‘Cross Leech’ is yet another interesting listen from one of E.’s most interesting projects.
