KATAKLYSM „Shadows and Dust”

Music: Melodic Death Metal
Duration: 9 songs (40 minutes)
Cool songs: Don't you dare to make me choose one!!!.

The Canadian band Kataklysm started in the grindcore/blast-scene, and so far, Kataklysm has managed to grow on each release. Therefor, this one just blasts everything away! This album is one of the best melodic death albums around. Melodic??? yes, Melodic. VICIOUSLY melodic.

The album kicks off with the best song to kick off with: In Shadows And Dust, starting with a short speech: “Ultimately, we're all dead men. Sadly, we cannot choose when, but, we can decide how we meet that end, so that we are remembered, as men.” This is the quote that sounds like an encouragement from a general to his legions, right before they are going to slay every mortal soul that happens to be their enemy in a raw, bulldozing blast of brutal, blazing blastbeats! This slo-grind warmachine is the ultimate openingtrack, setting the militaristic standard for the rest of the album.

Kataklysm is brutal, melodic, fast and VERY angry. Almost every beat gets snared, giving the overall a chaotic and furious sound. The band likes to play fast, and then slow down a bit during the solos. Vocals are varied, sometimes dark talking is used, but most of the time, typical death vocals or higher pitched screams are being barked out.

Like I said, Kataklysm grows with every record, but the band changes its style on every record. Not dramatic, but they try to come up with something new all the time, resulting in the fact that their music is never boring, or not varied. Melodies sound a bit like the ones used by Amon Amarth (Where The Enemy Sleeps, Centuries), only faster, and less sad and peacefull. Sometimes the album sounds like some sort of death metal version of CoF, for example during Chronicles Of The Damned or Bound In Chains. However, I'm not claiming those melodies and/or styles are copied, definitely not! I'm just giving you something to compare with.

Not a single melodie or riff on this album can be found that doesn't kill. The whole album is just a vicious onslaught on peace by evil, that approaches in a different way every song.

This one is a legendary must for every serious (melodic) death fan! Canadian metal fucking owns!!!

note: 10/10

Tracklist

01 In Shadows And Dust
02 Beyond Salvation
03 Illuminati
04 Chronicles Of The Damned
05 Bound In Chains
06 Where The Enemy Sleeps
07 Centuries (Beneath The Dark Waters), 08 Face The Face Of War, 09 Decades In Darkness.