Kataklysm is canadian death metal band that is underated in my opion. So I'm gonna review their last record In The Arms Of Devastation. I've listen to it 5 time already and I'm totaly blown away. It was the first time I have listened to this band even if they're a local band. Quebec metal scene is a kind of Swedish american new market. I mean look at the band that comes out : Quo Vadis, Kataklysm, Neuraxis, Anonymus, etc. So now Let review this song by song. I know that in the rest of america it will be release on february 26th but here in quebec it was released february 1st.
1-Like Angels Weeping (The Dark)
This album stats with a voice saying: Revenge is meal you best serve cold. Then a classic death metal riff comes in. Everything is there: Double bass, fast guitars, big growls. I love the voice of this guy. He has a deep voice but it still understandable. The riffs in this song are awesome. A great Opener. The chorus Riff at 1:00 is really heavy and another high pitch voice is in backround behind the regular voice. Then double bass comes in. A little bridge is in the song at 1:51.
5/5
2-Let Them Burn
I love their chord choices for this intro riff. A much higher pitch voice start this song. It is basicaly a vocal exchange between the High and the low voice at the beginning. The riffs are really swedish-like(Old In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, Hypocrisy). The guitar is the best part of the song actually. A Great Song!
4/5
3-Crippled And Broken
Now we talk!! What a song. This song is pretty slow but It is so heavy!! A great Headbanging riff is there to start the song. Then at 50sec the song speed up a bit. The riffing is amazing again. The drumming is pretty song. I love the chorus especially when he growls "Crippled and Broken". The riff at the middle of the song is pretty creative. I love it. One Of the best song of the record
5/5
4-To Reign Again
Now this song starts with a clean intro. It is awesome. The melody is great. Another crushing song. This riff is so headbangable!!. Then the verse are blasted. One of the sad thing is the snare sound during the blast beat. We can't hear it. At 1:58 the guitar are off which add a cool effect with only the bass and the drums. It's not kind of band that do that on a lot of occasion.
4/5
5-It turns to rust
This song features kittie's singer. Again this song start a bit slower but increase speed. The riff are incredibly heavy again. The chorus is awesome. This song is good but have nothing more that the others has. Great performance of Kittie's vocalist.
3,5/5
6-Open Scars.
This intro riff remains me a lot of dark tranquillity stuff. The drum is awesome. A lot of double bass is played through the verses. The riffs are so awesome. The chorus really differs from the others. This song as a solo which is awesome. I love the post solo part. It's basicaly the intro riff with loud chords behind.
5/5
7-Temptation's nest
The intro is really heavy. Then it get faster with another amazing riff. Blast beat are back again. I love the chorus with this kind of slower pace feel. The outro is cool. Amazing Song
4/5
8-In words of Desparation
The intro is amazing again. I love this kind of driving riff. Blast beat comes in the last repetition of the riff. Then the regular european metal riff comes in. I love the post chorus riff. It is really evil. This song is amazing again music wise.
4/5
9-The Road To Devastation
The longest song of the record.Good chord choices again. It is really Opeth-like intro riff. It features the vocalist and guitarist from Into Internity. Blast beat is also feature of this song behind a sad melodic riff. A cool solo is played by the Into Internity guitarist. Then the song fades with kind of noise during couples of minute
Overall: A great Death metal record.
4/5
Goods:
-The riffing
-The vocals
-The Intensity of the music
-No filler
BadS:
-Drums could have been better
-Maybe more solos
