THE GREAT KAT “Wagner’s War”

TPR Music, 2010

Music: Speed Thrash Neoclassical Symphonic Shred Metal
Website: http://www.greatkat.com/
Duration: 11:06 minutes (7 tracks)
Country: USA

Katherine Thomas consistently pursues her calling on the Metal scene from 30 years. Her military-sado-masochistic tendencies combined with an admiration for the virtuosic Classical Music and Metal music were influenced for the shape created project THE GREAT KAT (nota bene already legendary project). Perhaps Katherine through her music expresses her emotions and thoughts, sometimes even controversial and for some people – vulgar, obscene or slightly repulsive. But probably, and there are someone (and I think they are not necessarily with psychopathic tendencies) who worship this “Goddess of shredding” (not necessarily of the human body but rather – of the sounds and notes). Despite of all, if there would no such demand for this type of ultra-speedy and aggressive neo-classical Metal then THE GREAT KAT would have no existence. And so, not necessarily regular, but from time to time, THE GREAT KAT makes commotion, and this by various reissues of earlier material, and this by various interpretations of iconic works of Classical Music, and even by throwing for fans her photos saturated by sado-masochistic eroticism, eg. in the occasion of important anniversary of the birth or death of someone with virtuoso Classical Music…

So, the Ep “Wagner’s War” is the re-edition from 2010, which was originally released in 2002. The material is divided into acts III (War, Vengeance and Victory) and therefore, promises to be very seriously…

Act I is opening by known for lovers of Classical Music (and not only) work of Richard Wagner’s “The Ride of the Valkyries”, but arranging by THE GREAT KAT. The track is primarily played with a faster pace and still is orchestral but more sinister and psychotic as well as with the operatic-lachrymal groans of women… The second track from the beginning introduces the enormity of the chaos, a little in style of Grindcore, with the terrifying screams of Katherine and killing guitar’s riffs that pass to speed-thrash-metal gunfire full of virtuosic solos (in neoclassical style) and the aggressive shouts of “Kill !, Kill !, Kill!”. The song is very mad… The third composition begins with sounds of organ (Tocata and Fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach) to would suddenly go into a sharp and ultra-fast playing of the guitars and pounding drums. The scheme is similar – a rage, a bigotry, an aggression combined with a bit of furious and virtuosic melodies based on classical standards. And additionaly with haunted screams of Katherine. The high tone of the screams literally destroys brain…

Act II is already well saturated by the murderous sounds… The song “Punishment” persists the pace, the aggression and the fury of previous tracks. Here too, between the artillery of the guitar riffs and the rhythm section appear the ultra-fast guitar-violin solos like from a Classical Music in the style of Paganini and Vivaldi. The male vocals are novelty, which gives the darkness… And the tracks “Humiliation” thanks to introduction of the guitars riffs announced itself downright like Death Metal, but of course with shouts of Katherine, and then the storm of sounds came – the guitar riffs, the solos, the screams… almost everything simultaneously. This made the track mercilessly drilled in the skull into the brain to enslave the mind of the listener. The resistance makes hurt…

Act III was proudly began by Metal and Symphonic variation of a song by Franz Liszt “Hungarian Rhapsody no 2”, of course in a faster and more aggressive pace. It is dominated by the symphonic orchestrations with the ultra-fast guitar-violin solos… The Act III was proudly closed by the song “Zapateado” belonged to the Spanish violinist Pablo Sarasate, but as usual the version of THE GREAT KAT(in metal and symphonic version – accelerated with very huge dose of insane and fury as well as with murderous sounds)…

The material takes just over 11 minutes. That’s enough to shred our brain. To review this album I had to listen to it at least 3 times… Now I feel like a zombie… “Kill! Kill! Kill! “…

Tracklist:
1. The Ride of the Valkyries
2. War
3. Terror
4. Punishment
5. Humiliation
6. Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody #2
7. Zapateado

Line-up:
Katherine Thomas – Guitars & Violins & Screams
Jeff Ingegno – Bass
Lionel Cordew – Drums

Rate: 7.5/10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_T3eaxt97E