Have you ever wondered what a band like MACHINE HEAD would sound like with the guitar sound of KORN and when band leader and singer Robb Flynn was harbouring a massive cold whilst being even angrier than usual? Well, just listen to “Exhibition Of Prowess” by KUBLAI KHAN TX and you will get several clues. As for the band KUBLAI KHAN TX, they were formed in 2009 in the town of Sherman in Texas (who would have thought?). During the years they have been allowed of their anger management courses long enough to cut five records and two EP’s. to be honest, I had never heard of this band until I selected this album for my reviewing pleasure. How that fared will become clearer when you keep reading.

On Wikipedia the band KUBLKAI KHAN TX is classed as a Metalcore band. But that is just plain wrong. This is Metal Hardcore. What also is in here is a Groove part, and even some Nu-Metal influences that are being shown from time to time. In the 24 minutes that the 10 songs on “Exhibition Of Prowess” are trying to crush you to a pulp, the heaviness and intensity are off the scale, will undoubtedly appeal to a lot of the younger listeners. And when guitarist Nolan Ashley starts throwing around his BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and MACHINE HEAD guitar screams, you know that it will wet some panties and harden some dicks. (I hope what I have put here covers all the known genders. If not, sorry!)

As for the music that KUBLAI KHAN TX has added to this release of , I can only say what it does for me. And that is not that much. “Exhibition Of Prowess” is simple and straight forward Uber Angry Metal Hardcore, with no filters, but also without subtleties. That in itself is not a problem, if the music that is written has some redeeming features that make your head snap up, make your ears open up wider and/or make your interest peak. But they don’t. What I also miss even more is something that is very much a part of every successful Metal Hardcore release, which is displaying the more emotions than just anger. This is just being angry to bully or impress, and it gets a bit too much after a while. If anything, “Exhibition Of Prowess” is the perfect example of too much is too little. Too much anger gives me too little quality/class to keep me interested.