Album Review: Kataklysm - 'Waiting For The End To Come'

Montreal based masters of metal, Kataklysm are the old reliable. In succinct form, 'Waiting For The End To Come,' is no disappointment. It's fast and brutal with some killer grooves and melodies thrown in.

Beginning with  'Fire' straight away the band shows you what to expect from the album. Following its instrumental introduction the listener is thrown straight into intense, pummeling sounds, with some precise drumming and the typically brutal vocals of Maurizio Iacono.

A common thread here is the album is full of raw aggression and anger. The first three songs really foreshadow the brutality of 'Waiting For the End To Come' as well as containing some melodies that set apart Kataklysm from the generic brand of death metal. Stand out tracks include 'Kill the Elite', which provide a sustained intensity.

The latter half of the album is where we really begin to see the melodies shine through and the experimentation that Kataklysm took with this album. From the track 'Dead and Buried' we see a slow pace filled with articulate guitar work, which maintains the classic sound.

'Elevate' is a fitting conclusion. The melodic feel throughout is enticing, the guitar work is simply mesmerising and a little calming in the middle of a brutal storm that is death metal. Songs like these manage to add some edge to the album, creating an element of interest and diversity on this otherwise intensely aggressive album.

'Waiting For The End To Come' is the classic Kataklysm death metal album that fans have been waiting to receive. Additionally, it packs an extra punch with its beautiful melodies and simply mesmerising guitar work. The album manages to keep you interested the whole way through with its use of different sounds from sheer brutal vocals to sweet groove guitar work.

1. Fire

2. If I Was God - I'd Burn It All

3. Like Animals

4. Kill the Elite

5. Under Lawless Skies

6. Dead & Buried

7. The Darkest Days of Slumber

8. Real Blood - Real Scars

9. The Promise

10. Empire of Dirt

11. Elevate