.....Here's a few more true metal scribes voiceing there thoughts about "A New breed of Rebellion".
Review by: Stefan Sileghem
Metal to Infinity
www.metaltoinfinity.tk, Belgium
Katagory V is the name of a kick ass, awesome US Metal band with progressive influences formed in late '99 in The Salt Lake Valley of Utah! These guys are really good and it makes my days looking brighter for sure with their outstanding form of Metal music. They've released a debut album in 2001 entitled "Present Day" so had to wait a few years for a next effort and check it out, here it is and how. The guys from Metalages Records just delivered me one of the best US Prog Metal bands of 2004. The voice of Lynn Allers reminds me a lot of Ray Alder (Fates Warning). Musically, Id like to compare them with bands like: Power of Omens, Syris, Fates Warning or Queensryche. The opener starts excellent and this is a song more in the typical US Metal style without the prog influences, just amazing! The rest of the entire album breeds a fantastic mixture of US Power and Progressive Metal, nothing
more-nothing less. "Turn To Grey' per example, check out the incredible combination of bass, drums and guitar lines with solid, well fitting vocals...you ain't hear nothing yet. Also very special is the title track "A New Breed of Rebellion". First part of the entire song is played with acoustic guitars and a lot of passion but turns into a real gunner after almost three minutes. Passion, intensity, feeling...they knows how to play it all with style. Looking for a bass demonstration, go for a song called "A Peaceful Act of Terrorism". Bass player Dustin Mitchell shows you the way how the handle a loaded bass guitar in the best possible ways. Fortunately, that's exactly what he's fellow band members and guitarists Trevor Asire, Curtis Morrell do. These brothers are so damn skilled; the pleasures are at my site. I don't want to forget
to mention the name Matt Suiter because he keeps on knocking the drum skins real hard with several forms of energy, good job Matt. "Chrono-Logic" and "In Dark Night" are real great without one single word of regrets. No time to mess around; stay in front of your speakers to enjoy these wonderful sounds of steel. To shut the all thing off, one track called "One Last Time" awaits you. It's an easy song with some kind of sentimental lyrics. If you like it that way or not, Ive enjoyed the album with all of my heart from beginning till the end. Maniacs of US Metal ala Fates Warning... give this piece a shot. Katagory V is working on a new songs and Im the one who's really looking forward to that special day the new album is finally done and ready to conquer the earth! US Metal-Precious Metal!!!
MY POINTS: 92 / 100
Review by: Chris Forbes
www.metalcorefanzine.com, USA
KATAGORY V/A New Breed Of Rebellion (Metal Age Records) Pure 100% heavy metal. This band absolutely keeps the flame of metal alive. The band play a brand of metal with a touch of power metal, but are more along the lines of say Savatage and some of those metal bands on Metal Blade during the 80's. The vocals are clear, but powerful and do more than get the job done. Metal runs through this bands veins.
Review by: Mario Van Dooren
Marios Metal Mania
www.mariosmetalmania.com The Neitherlands
Katagory V is another band from the Metal Ages record label. It suits me that all 3 CD's I got from this label are looking good, have great lay-outs, are technical very strong and have all good productions! Also are all the bands very progressive and it's a pleasure to review this kind of music. Katagory V is from Utah, USA and plays progressive US-metal the way i like it very much. Bands to compare: Watchtower and even some (old) Confessor are crossing my mind when i was listening to this great album! Sometimes they even remind me to some Nevermore stuff. The band has some very good musicians; Singer Lynn Allers has a very unique voice and a very wide range. Drummer Matt Suiter sometimes reminds me to Rick Colaluca (Watchtower) and completes a good rhythm section with bass player Dustin Mitchell. Guitar players Curtis Morrell & Trevor Asire are a good couple with a leading part for Curtis Morrell who wrote most of the songs in cooperation with bass player Dustin Mitchell. BUY IT!!!
Favorite songs: Sands of time, Turn to Grey, Your Dreams, Chrono-logic, In Dark Night
Review by: John Venvertloh
1340 Magazine
www.1340mag.com USA
The three founding members of Katagory V - Dustin Mitchell (bass), Curtis Morrell (guitar), Matt Suiter (drums) - joined forces in the Salt Lake Valley (Utah) in 1999. Lynn Allers (vocals) joined the group shortly later; fifth member Trevor Asire (guitar) came in to replace Ryan Taylor who left in 2002 for personal reasons. This is Katagory V's second release (and my first experience with them)
The band bills itself as Power Metal with Prog Rock overtones but to my ear, it's really the other way around, with a good dose of Theatrical Rock thrown in. The sound is very good, with a solid feel that's easy to get into. The one thing I did notice is that the transitions from texture to texture which is central to theatrical/progressive rock seem a bit ragged for K5. It's not enough to mar the sound or make it less fun to listen to, but it does leave a feeling of the bands "garage" roots that could be polished up some. Production is very good and the mix seems smooth and well balanced. Also, "A New Breed of Rebellion" seems to be something of a concept album but the concept doesnt seem to be as fully developed as it could be.
Overall, I think K5 will appeal to most prog and theatrical rockers. There's a lot to like on this disc. Two of the tracks can be sampled on the Metalages web site. (K5's site is under construction)
Key tracks: No Response, A New Breed of Rebellion but their all good.
Review by: Sargon the Terrible
Metal Crypt Webzine
www.metalcrypt.com USA
I think this is a debut, as I cannot really find anything about this band. Katagory V (or 5) are an ambitious US band in the vein of later Fates Warning. I could tell this was an American outfit without even looking, as they have that signature US-Prog-Metal sound that might as well be patented. They seem to be from Utah at least that's where they recorded, and I can think of no good reason why any sentient life form would be in Utah unless they lived there.
This is very much in the spirit of Fates Warning's "No Exit" album. You get mostly pretty long songs with that cleanly crunchy guitar tone, and a vocalist who bears more than a passing resemblance to Ray Alder. The arrangements are sprawling and the guitarwork is very good. The trouble is that only once in a while do these guys manage to conjure up anything very compelling. The songs are all well-played and the album is professionally produced, but it's mostly disconnected riffing and vocal lines that are not that catchy. What momentum the songs have is often garroted by those obnoxious stop-time arrangements that prog is so addicted to. The title track manages to be pretty memorable, and "Your Dreams" is a genuinely involving song. But it is just too hard to pay attention to this disc all the way through. It remains intellectually, rather than viscerally or emotionally interesting. So while Katagory V are a good band who can really play, their songwriting needs work if it is going to measure up to their idols in FW. Bluntly: they either need to write more direct and catchy songs to appeal to the Power fans, or get waaaay more elaborate if they want to make waves in prog circles. Being me, I hope they opt for the former. They apparently have a new disc coming soon, so we can all hope this band lives up to the potential that is so obvious here. A band to keep an eye on!
Review by: Stefan Sileghem
Metal to Infinity
www.metaltoinfinity.tk, Belgium
Katagory V is the name of a kick ass, awesome US Metal band with progressive influences formed in late '99 in The Salt Lake Valley of Utah! These guys are really good and it makes my days looking brighter for sure with their outstanding form of Metal music. They've released a debut album in 2001 entitled "Present Day" so had to wait a few years for a next effort and check it out, here it is and how. The guys from Metalages Records just delivered me one of the best US Prog Metal bands of 2004. The voice of Lynn Allers reminds me a lot of Ray Alder (Fates Warning). Musically, Id like to compare them with bands like: Power of Omens, Syris, Fates Warning or Queensryche. The opener starts excellent and this is a song more in the typical US Metal style without the prog influences, just amazing! The rest of the entire album breeds a fantastic mixture of US Power and Progressive Metal, nothing
more-nothing less. "Turn To Grey' per example, check out the incredible combination of bass, drums and guitar lines with solid, well fitting vocals...you ain't hear nothing yet. Also very special is the title track "A New Breed of Rebellion". First part of the entire song is played with acoustic guitars and a lot of passion but turns into a real gunner after almost three minutes. Passion, intensity, feeling...they knows how to play it all with style. Looking for a bass demonstration, go for a song called "A Peaceful Act of Terrorism". Bass player Dustin Mitchell shows you the way how the handle a loaded bass guitar in the best possible ways. Fortunately, that's exactly what he's fellow band members and guitarists Trevor Asire, Curtis Morrell do. These brothers are so damn skilled; the pleasures are at my site. I don't want to forget
to mention the name Matt Suiter because he keeps on knocking the drum skins real hard with several forms of energy, good job Matt. "Chrono-Logic" and "In Dark Night" are real great without one single word of regrets. No time to mess around; stay in front of your speakers to enjoy these wonderful sounds of steel. To shut the all thing off, one track called "One Last Time" awaits you. It's an easy song with some kind of sentimental lyrics. If you like it that way or not, Ive enjoyed the album with all of my heart from beginning till the end. Maniacs of US Metal ala Fates Warning... give this piece a shot. Katagory V is working on a new songs and Im the one who's really looking forward to that special day the new album is finally done and ready to conquer the earth! US Metal-Precious Metal!!!
MY POINTS: 92 / 100
Review by: Chris Forbes
www.metalcorefanzine.com, USA
KATAGORY V/A New Breed Of Rebellion (Metal Age Records) Pure 100% heavy metal. This band absolutely keeps the flame of metal alive. The band play a brand of metal with a touch of power metal, but are more along the lines of say Savatage and some of those metal bands on Metal Blade during the 80's. The vocals are clear, but powerful and do more than get the job done. Metal runs through this bands veins.
Review by: Mario Van Dooren
Marios Metal Mania
www.mariosmetalmania.com The Neitherlands
Katagory V is another band from the Metal Ages record label. It suits me that all 3 CD's I got from this label are looking good, have great lay-outs, are technical very strong and have all good productions! Also are all the bands very progressive and it's a pleasure to review this kind of music. Katagory V is from Utah, USA and plays progressive US-metal the way i like it very much. Bands to compare: Watchtower and even some (old) Confessor are crossing my mind when i was listening to this great album! Sometimes they even remind me to some Nevermore stuff. The band has some very good musicians; Singer Lynn Allers has a very unique voice and a very wide range. Drummer Matt Suiter sometimes reminds me to Rick Colaluca (Watchtower) and completes a good rhythm section with bass player Dustin Mitchell. Guitar players Curtis Morrell & Trevor Asire are a good couple with a leading part for Curtis Morrell who wrote most of the songs in cooperation with bass player Dustin Mitchell. BUY IT!!!
Favorite songs: Sands of time, Turn to Grey, Your Dreams, Chrono-logic, In Dark Night
Review by: John Venvertloh
1340 Magazine
www.1340mag.com USA
The three founding members of Katagory V - Dustin Mitchell (bass), Curtis Morrell (guitar), Matt Suiter (drums) - joined forces in the Salt Lake Valley (Utah) in 1999. Lynn Allers (vocals) joined the group shortly later; fifth member Trevor Asire (guitar) came in to replace Ryan Taylor who left in 2002 for personal reasons. This is Katagory V's second release (and my first experience with them)
The band bills itself as Power Metal with Prog Rock overtones but to my ear, it's really the other way around, with a good dose of Theatrical Rock thrown in. The sound is very good, with a solid feel that's easy to get into. The one thing I did notice is that the transitions from texture to texture which is central to theatrical/progressive rock seem a bit ragged for K5. It's not enough to mar the sound or make it less fun to listen to, but it does leave a feeling of the bands "garage" roots that could be polished up some. Production is very good and the mix seems smooth and well balanced. Also, "A New Breed of Rebellion" seems to be something of a concept album but the concept doesnt seem to be as fully developed as it could be.
Overall, I think K5 will appeal to most prog and theatrical rockers. There's a lot to like on this disc. Two of the tracks can be sampled on the Metalages web site. (K5's site is under construction)
Key tracks: No Response, A New Breed of Rebellion but their all good.
Review by: Sargon the Terrible
Metal Crypt Webzine
www.metalcrypt.com USA
I think this is a debut, as I cannot really find anything about this band. Katagory V (or 5) are an ambitious US band in the vein of later Fates Warning. I could tell this was an American outfit without even looking, as they have that signature US-Prog-Metal sound that might as well be patented. They seem to be from Utah at least that's where they recorded, and I can think of no good reason why any sentient life form would be in Utah unless they lived there.
This is very much in the spirit of Fates Warning's "No Exit" album. You get mostly pretty long songs with that cleanly crunchy guitar tone, and a vocalist who bears more than a passing resemblance to Ray Alder. The arrangements are sprawling and the guitarwork is very good. The trouble is that only once in a while do these guys manage to conjure up anything very compelling. The songs are all well-played and the album is professionally produced, but it's mostly disconnected riffing and vocal lines that are not that catchy. What momentum the songs have is often garroted by those obnoxious stop-time arrangements that prog is so addicted to. The title track manages to be pretty memorable, and "Your Dreams" is a genuinely involving song. But it is just too hard to pay attention to this disc all the way through. It remains intellectually, rather than viscerally or emotionally interesting. So while Katagory V are a good band who can really play, their songwriting needs work if it is going to measure up to their idols in FW. Bluntly: they either need to write more direct and catchy songs to appeal to the Power fans, or get waaaay more elaborate if they want to make waves in prog circles. Being me, I hope they opt for the former. They apparently have a new disc coming soon, so we can all hope this band lives up to the potential that is so obvious here. A band to keep an eye on!
