Cataract

Now I know everybody is probably getting sick and tired of the whole metalcore scene, but not all of it is shit. Cataract has been rockin’ the shit together for 8 years running, and their metalcore blood still runs strong.

Formed in 1998 as a side project, nobody thought of Cataract as a full-fledged band. Not even themselves! Straight from Zürich, Switzerland, the band consists of; Ricky Dürst – drums, Federico Carminitana – vocals, Greg Mäder – guitar, Simon Füllemann – guitar, and Michi Henggeler – bass (whom just recently left the band, and Cataract are currently looking for a new bass player).

Now onto the album. I get the feeling a lot of people are also sick of albums that have an intro to the CD. Well that’s too bad for you people because the first track on the album is an introduction titled “Kingdom’s Rise.” It starts out quietly, and as it progresses, begins to get more and more intense, until it leads into the next track.

The second track on Kingdom is “War of Cultures.” The track opens up with the cocking of a shotgun or rifle of some sort… definitely a sound to grab a listener’s attention. With the distortion turned up, Cataract kicks the shit with a fury of brutal screams and mind bending guitar riffs. Everybody plays extremely tightly together; I couldn’t hear any faults.

Fourth on the album is “Denial of Life.” I first heard this song of Cataract’s myspace. When I first heard it, I fell in love with the perfect timing and amazing quality of the song. I went to BearShare immediately and downloaded it =). Federico’s voice sends chills through my back whenever he lets out his howls. Also, the lyrics kind of gave me chills when the band chants, “There is no escape for the human race.” Kind of gets me thinking of what we’re gonna end up doing to our own society.

“Sacrificed for the Wealth” is seventh on this bone chilling album. This track reminds me of Unearth. I don’t even need to explain who Unearth is, do I? If any of you are into the metalcore scene, you know who they are. Again, Federico’s voice accentuates the music and adds definition. His distinct voice can be heard even over the most distorted riffs and even Ricky turns it up a notch with his insane drum skills… obviously he’s been practicing. Double bass pedals, and symbols in places that you want to hear and not in places they don’t fit.

Next up in the line-up is “Definition of the Sacred.” This track is different from the rest of the songs. They play with mainly power chords and not as many of the odd harmonics. Simon and Greg also play with less palm muting, tossing in some attitude whilst doing so. Overall, this album gets a well deserved 9.6/10. The entire album is tight as hell and if people disagree with me about the rating, then oh well. I gave them what I think they deserve.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. Kingdom’s Rise
02. War of Cultures
03. On This Graveyard
04. Denial of Life
05. Tongues Spitting Hate
06. March With Your Battleforce
07. Sacrificed for the Wealth
08. Definition of the Sacred
09. Legions at the Gates
10. Unforgotten
11. For Their Sins

Run Time: 41:28