Katalepsy – Gravenous Hour (Review)

This is the second album from this Russian death metal band.

Katalepsy have a dynamic and vibrant sound for a band that are, essentially, brutal death metal. They seem to be able to pick energetic riffs with ease and form their compositions around interesting structures and ideas.

This album’s a monster, and crushes like one, too. A clear, crisp production highlights the quality musicianship of the release, and all of the band’s technical flourishes are laid bare for the listener to enjoy.

I like that Katalepsy are equally capable of Nile-esque dense collections of riffery as much as they are a huge, good old-fashioned Dying Fetus-styled breakdown. This combination of blasting complexity and simpler grooves works really well, with the band making the most of both types of butchery to create songs that have the best of both worlds.

Gravenous Hour is much more memorable than most albums like this usually are. It has a lot of interesting content throughout these 41 minutes, and even on the first spin you know it’s gonna be a keeper. The more you listen to it, the more it gives up its secrets too; hidden among the more obvious parts are extra little embellishments and melodic treats.

The singer growls and roars alongside the brutality, putting in every bit as comprehensive a performance as the rest of the band. He definitely has a top-drawer voice.

Gravenous Hour is a superior death metal release, and it’s one I’ll be playing again and again until I get sick of it, I feel.

Highly recommended.