Kataklysm, one of the leading bands in the melodic death metal genre, have posted a video for last year’s effort, Heaven’s Venom. The song itself is pretty awesome, despite being generic and predictable. Also, it looks like they put on a pretty awesome live show.
Heaven’s Venom is out now on Nuclear Blast.
- GR
Kataklysm
Heaven’s Venom
01. A Soulless God
02. Determined (Vows of Vengeance)
03. Faith Made of Shrapnel
04. Push the Venom
05. Hail the Renegade
06. As The Wall Collapses
07. Numb and Intoxicated
08. At the Edge of the World
09. Suicide River
10. Blind Saviour
1991 marked the year of death metal giants Kataklysm. It’s hard to believe they’re still around, but I’m glad they are. And thus here we are with Heaven’s Venom, Kataklysm’s eleventh studio album. Yes, eleventh. Crazy, huh? Nevertheless, Heaven’s Venom shows that you can still be good after 19 years.
The album begins in typical Kataklysm fashion: movie quote then some fast death metal. It may be the least interesting song here, but it shows that Kataklysm have no plans of slowing down. It’s got your typical death metal riffs with the Kataklysm flair and some insane double bass work. Again, it’s nothing special, but don’t let this deter you. The next song, “Determined (Vows of Vengeance)” kicks off with a very groovy, mid-tempo riff with the monstrous vocals of Maurizio, implementing his distinguishable dual vocal growl/shriek throughout various sections. If the crunchiness and the strength of the riff in this song doesn’t get your head bobbing then I’m not sure what will. In fact, that’s part of what makes Heaven’s Venom a good album: the riffs are much stronger. On Prevail, the riffs didn’t have a lot of room to shine because of the production. That and, well, the riffs were fairly boring. If you were a fan of In the Arms of Devastation, you’ll be pleased to know Heaven’s Venom feels like it went down that path more. The despair melodies are prevalent in tracks like “Suicide River” (my personal favorite) and the moody undertones shine in the chorus of songs like “At the Edge of the World”. Overall, Heaven’s Venom features the same ol’ Kataklysm we’ve come to know and love, with a bigger emphasis on riffs and melodies. It feels like the band matured here (despite the lame lyrics) and as a result, the soundscape feels much more developed.
Hoping Ozzfest’s lineup would make up for this year’s Mayhem Festival lineup? Think again. Ozzfest is dead, and here lies it’s charred remains:
Here are the tour dates. Short and sweet:
August 14 – San Bernardino, CA @ San Manuel Amphitheater
August 17 – Chicago, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amp.
August 19 – Pittsburg, PA @ First Niagara Pavilion
August 21 – Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theater
August 22 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna
August 24 – Boston, MA @ Comcast Center
If I had to choose this and Mayhem, I’d definitely go to Mayhem, to be completely honest. Oh well. Just goes to show that once again, Europe has our asses kicked when it comes to summer metal festivals.
- JR
