Kataklysm - Serenity In Fire
Nuclear Blast NB1227-2 - 2004
By Rodrigo Escandon
The Canadian Hyperblasters, Kataklysm are back with their seventh studio album titled Serenity In Fire, and once again you can expect an absolutely violent, heavy and crushing death metal release. Kataklysm stick to their formula once again, and one really knows what to expect. Serenity in Fire is a solid death metal album, but it lacks some of the hooks that made Shadows & Dust such a good release, the end result is an ultimately weaker recording.
This time around the band features a new drummer in Martin Maurias, and he really is the highlight of the album. He fills Serenity in Fire with enough blast beats and double bass drumming to either completely impress you or totally annoy you. I fit somewhere in the middle because his speed is really impressive, and it sounds like he is having a very easy time doing it, but at some point the lack of dynamics in his style really begins to wear. Maurizio once again uses the more guttural and low sounding voice that is actually (at times) easy to understand, and occasionally he will do a scream here or there. Peter Tägtgren also does a guest appearance during "For All Our Sins". The guitar playing by JF Degenais is good, but nothing really sticks out. Yes, the album is aggressive, but there are very few songs that feature cool riffs. "Under the Bleeding Sun" is one example that does have a very cool riff, as well as one of the best solos in the album, but the majority is stuck in some sort of bland rut. Finally, the bass of Stephane Barbe is basically inaudible, except for the few times when it is the only instrument playing, such as in "The Tragedy I Preach".
Throughout their career, Kataklysm have mostly been a hit and miss band for me. Shadows & Dust really clicked with me and I still enjoy it to this day but Serenity In Fire is just like most of their catalog, unmemorable.
7/10
Kataklysm Official Website
Nuclear Blast Official Website
Nuclear Blast NB1227-2 - 2004
By Rodrigo Escandon
The Canadian Hyperblasters, Kataklysm are back with their seventh studio album titled Serenity In Fire, and once again you can expect an absolutely violent, heavy and crushing death metal release. Kataklysm stick to their formula once again, and one really knows what to expect. Serenity in Fire is a solid death metal album, but it lacks some of the hooks that made Shadows & Dust such a good release, the end result is an ultimately weaker recording.
This time around the band features a new drummer in Martin Maurias, and he really is the highlight of the album. He fills Serenity in Fire with enough blast beats and double bass drumming to either completely impress you or totally annoy you. I fit somewhere in the middle because his speed is really impressive, and it sounds like he is having a very easy time doing it, but at some point the lack of dynamics in his style really begins to wear. Maurizio once again uses the more guttural and low sounding voice that is actually (at times) easy to understand, and occasionally he will do a scream here or there. Peter Tägtgren also does a guest appearance during "For All Our Sins". The guitar playing by JF Degenais is good, but nothing really sticks out. Yes, the album is aggressive, but there are very few songs that feature cool riffs. "Under the Bleeding Sun" is one example that does have a very cool riff, as well as one of the best solos in the album, but the majority is stuck in some sort of bland rut. Finally, the bass of Stephane Barbe is basically inaudible, except for the few times when it is the only instrument playing, such as in "The Tragedy I Preach".
Throughout their career, Kataklysm have mostly been a hit and miss band for me. Shadows & Dust really clicked with me and I still enjoy it to this day but Serenity In Fire is just like most of their catalog, unmemorable.
7/10
Kataklysm Official Website
Nuclear Blast Official Website
