Cannon blast aimed at listeners
Kataklysm is back in 2018 with Meditations and the pace does not relent. Following 2015s Of Ghosts And Gods was nothing short of a tall order, it would take a massive undertaking. Right out of the gate, it is clear that the band was willing to pull out all the stops in order to achieve and maintain a ridiculous pace, an overwhelming vigor and an anger that would shake the world.
The opening track “Guillotine” is a cannon blast aimed at the listener. The main riff at the beginning is nothing technical at all, but it is precise like a surgeon’s blade. Compiled with the nuclear blast that follows shortly on drums, it transforms from a simple introductory passage into a grand melee. Though they opt to begin the track with nothing but brute force and bravado, Kataklysm spreads melodic elements throughout the bridge and chorus sections with Oli Beaudoin’s unrelenting hyper-blast beats continuing on through the mix in the background. If the aim of opening with this specific track was to catch the listener’s attention, it worked.
During the ten-track and 38-minute run time, the band shows many faces but their generous application of bravado is ever present. On “Born To Kill And Destined To Die,” Jean-François Dagenais pulls out all the stops to match the blistering drum pace on guitar. Through various exhibitions of technical prowess spanning several riffs and a spectacular solo, he proves once again that he is at the cutting edge of melodic death metal guitarists where his level of talent is concerned. The proverbial bag of tricks seems to be far from empty where the band is concerned, as they did not fall prey to the songwriting wall to create something fresh and vibrant that still manages to stay true to their previous works.
As a whole, the album is nothing short of spectacular. Though much of the credit lies upon the shoulders of Dagenais and Beaudoin, it would be unfair to go on without highlighting Maurizio Iacono and Stephane Barbe’s performances as well. Everyone did their part to create an album that is nothing short of a death metal masterpiece.
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