Last year saw Denver's KHEMMIS release "Absolution" to critical acclaim. The band's sophomore album, "Hunted", has followed more swiftly than expected. A mere five songs clocking in at 44 minutes may have hinted at trouble, but my fears of bloated songs proved unfounded. The band has strengthened their vision on this release, and have created a successful pairing of crushing doom riffs and classic metal melody. This album is more streamlined than the previous one, and also comes across as remarkably accessible for a doom metal album. It's an offering of gargantuan riffs and moving vocals, combined with stellar songwriting and enough of a rock influence to get the songs to stick in your head.

Not one track is a filler here. The whole album showcases incredible songwriting and fantastic musicianship. Classic doom is more closely adhered to this time around, with a similar sound to PALLBEARER. The rock elements linger mainly in the guitar riffs, and buildups, while the stoner doom elements are almost all gone. The traditional metal elements shine through, while the music retains a modern sound overall. "Candlelight" has a forlorn sound, and is full of emotion and crushing riffs. Following on from that, "Three Gates" is the heftiest of the five tracks, with aggressive, thick-as-molasses riffs and guttural vocals. The heaviness is tempered slightly by clean vocals and harmonized clean guitars.

The longest songs on the album had me wondering if things would go off the rails. But in this case, the long lengths were necessary for the band to fully expand their material. "Beyond the Door" is full of depressing, characteristically doomy riffs, and beautiful vocals which are simultaneously hopeful and mournful. The title track is the behemoth of the album with a length of 13 minutes and 31 seconds, yet somehow flies by as quickly as if it were three minutes long. The vocals are plaintive and imploring, and the solos beautiful. Phil Pendergast is impressive both on vocals and guitar, while fellow guitarist Ben Hutcherson also brings his best. I couldn't help but be moved by this epic closer.

Pendergast's vocals soar higher than on "Absolution", and are more heavily laden with emotion. His performance is emotionally gripping throughout the album. The guttural vocals pop up here and there, most notably on "Three Gates", but the focus is more on cleans this time around. The guitars have a cleaner sound, and the classic doom riffs form the basis of the guitar work. Built upon are ethereal harmonies that weave in and out almost effortlessly. Dan Beiers and Zach Coleman are solid on the bass and drums respectively, and provide a steady foundation on which to build a grand temple of doom.

The only stand-out flaw of this album is a production that's a bit too loud. It's not terrible, but sometimes things sound a little muddy when they should've been crystal clear. Despite this, each instrument sounds well-mixed, and even the mammoth riffs never threaten to squash everything else. KHEMMIS has become a sleek beast with a refined sound. This album's accessibility may even win the love of those who don't usually listen to doom metal. I can only imagine how the band will follow on from this achievement.