From the opening seconds of the first song, you can tell that Kataklysm haven’t changed, not one bit. Bringing an air of familiarity the opening clip declares ‘What the hell. Everybody ends up dead. It’s just a matter of when’, completely mimicking the opening few seconds of their previous release, Kataklysm quickly burst straight into action with the first song, and it’s a typical song for the band. Headbanging riffs, undeniable groove, huge chorus, furious drumming, its melodic death metal with just the right amount of melody, rather than overpowering it like the majority of the bands in this genre will do. If you haven’t heard Kataklysm before, this opening track will give you a pretty clear impression early on. What they present is a relatively heavy (compared to the majority of the genre) version of melodic death metal, the production is crunchy, giving just the right amount of emphasis on the vocals and the drumming is chaotic throughout.
Although this review may have seemed to have suddenly turned negative, it isn’t. Prevail is a great album, full of killer hooks, melodies and epic choruses. While Kataklysm haven’t produced a classic they have managed to make this sound on the whole more epic, more aggressive and yet more controlled than its predecessor. Truly, this does outdo In The Arms of Devastation in places, and that is no mean feat considering the level which they were on in that album. ‘Blood in Heaven’ is a true monster of a song, which reaches a melancholic level of grandiose that was nowhere to be seen on their last effort, and the previously mentioned ‘The Vultures Are Watching’ is one of the best songs these guys have made. Around these two stand out tracks is a consistent level of quality, Kataklysm really know how to make a good song without any gimmicks, and it wouldn’t be far from the truth to say every song on this album is worthy of at least one listen. In truth, the entire album is one of the better ones in this genre. The vocals are impressive, ranging between a decipherable growl and a piercing scream, there are plenty of memorable hooks and riffs and the drumming is truly impressive at parts.
With Prevail, Kataklysm have answered the question of whether they are the kings of this genre. Unfortunately, the answer is no for now, but they’re not far from being that sort of level. If they raised their game just slightly and managed to achieve the potential they clearly have, then this band could truly create a classic. Prevail is certainly a strong showing, but it’s not quite there yet. They have the potential to create a classic, but at this late stage in the bands career, you can just sense that time is beginning to run out - reported from sputnikmusic.com.
Track list
- Prevail
- Taking the World by Storm
- The Chains of Power
- As Death Lingers
- Blood in Heaven
- To Throne of Sorrow
- Breathe to Dominate
- Tear Down the Kingdom
- The Vultures are Watching
- The Las Effort (Renaissance II)
No comments