Kataklysm – Goliath (Review)

This is the fifteenth album from Canadian death metal band Kataklysm.

Goliath contains 41 minutes of Kataklysm’s brutal approach to melodic death metal. Goliath is a powerhouse of contemporary aggression that benefits from Kataklysm’s old-school pedigree and experience. The band sound revitalised, and the songs energetic and hostile.

Kataklysm continue to splice elements of djent and groove metal into their death metal sound, resulting in songs that blast with pure ferocity and groove with stadium intent. This mix of influences allows for classic death metal and modern heaviness to coexist in a way that works well for the band. The songwriting makes the most of this, delivering an infectious album that sounds sleek and lethal.

In this way Kataklysm have been taking their classic style and updating it for the present day for a while now, and on Goliath this is expressed both forcefully and effectively. Kataklysm succeed in balancing old and new to produce a collection of tracks that I find effortlessly enjoyable. They have somehow managed to take the strengths of their classic style and enrich it with modern elements, while losing nothing of the former’s character. It’s different to their early work for sure, but Goliath sees them really grow into their modern incarnation.

The songs on Goliath have hooks and catchiness aplenty, and the music is designed to get mosh pits moving and heads banging. There are many choice riffs to be had, (so many riffs!), and some blistering blast beats, (courtesy of new Hiss from the Moat/ex-Hour of Penance drummer). The vocalist sounds great, and his charismatic voice is on fine form.

On their fifteenth record Kataklysm have produced a storming album. Packed with good songs and the sort of aggressive heaviness that’s hard to stay still to, Goliath is a monster of an album, one that I like very much.

Highly recommended.