ALBUM REVIEW: Unconquered – Kataklysm

Becoming one of the long runners of modern death metal, KATAKLYM are back in business once again with fourteenth studio album Unconquered. With the past few years since Meditations, the world has become even more chaotic, and KATAKLYSM welcome the challenge to create a cathartic sonic parallel to these turbulent times.

Kicking off, The Killshot marches in with sombre reserve, a trill military snare accompanies a melancholy melody for our first minute, before catching its breath and battering into the signature blasting, gnashing beats and riffs. It’s as relentless as you’d expect from KATAKLYSM, booming vocals demonstrating that Maurizio Iacono still has it. It’s another solid start from one of death metal’s heavyweights.

Cut Me Down has a bouncing riff that urges you to pick up the pace, containing a momentum that feels kinetic and frantic. The turns between fast grooves and blistering intensity are nicely balanced, and overall, this is a pretty melodic outing for a more classically death metal sound; all nice stuff.

As we skin into the depths of the album, we arrive at Underneath The Scars, which is an absolute banger; tight chugs that dig in deep, symbols hissing like electric wire, vocals that rip. Its harmonic roars are gigantic and thoroughly intimidating, really adding a dimension to this already colossal track. The final break down is as fresh as you could wish for, and the insanity that is the double bass is obliterating satisfying.

Not relenting on this tsunami of sound, Focused To Destroy You kicks up the groove and the underlying melody in its opening, while retaining that thrashing verse that seems to revel in brutalising your ear drums. Its bleak and dark, and as commentary that comes with all good song themes. However, just because there’s a core of negativity doesn’t mean this cathartic listen isn’t going to hit the spot.

The Way Back Home simmers down a tad and allows for a more reflective opening phrase which is a nice moment to catch your breath. Everything is just as high energy from here on out though, but rather than crushing you endlessly, this is more of a bittersweet beating, with the emphasis is on the bitter. The breakdown is pretty on the mark, and while some might call this a little by the numbers, honestly this is perhaps the most standout track. It ticks all the boxes, dual guitar parts, groove and bite, aggression and melody, it’s top work combining a fresh sound with exactly what fans love of older records.

Stiches is just as solid, that modern tone coming through in the riff, whooping pitch harmonics, tasty bends and chugs. The belligerent violence of KATAKLYSM is always best when it’s balanced with sections of reduced tension that really allow that spring and groove to shine, and it pays off between the periods of head smashing.

Additionally, Defiant is as probably best describes as an all-out attack on the senses, it’s relentless assault of screams, bellows and nasty riffs are staggering under the blistering beats that do not hold up for an instant. If you want your death metal utterly excruciatingly heavy, this is where you’ll find it on this album.

Our penultimate track Icarus Falling is one of those moments mentioned previously, where things are slightly more emotionally charged and stoic rather than all out rabid aggression. There’s a deeper layer of heavy sorrow that brings things to a slow whiplash head bang rather than an full on neck breaker. KATAKLYSM’s ability to tap into an almost symphonic, gothic edge of their sound shows how they have complete mastery on where their very distinct voice in the death metal world is going.

Our final outing When It’s Over is another muted intro, a slow doom chug tempers the whole track, reigning in the velocity from 0 to 100 to a steady build in that biting tone, glorifying in the wake of an album of huge aggression and savouring every moment before that massive final breakdown.

This has to be one of KATAKYLSM’s best records to date, Unconquered manages to explore modern tones and ideas while keeping the core of what makes for traditionally good death metal. There’s a decent amount of distinction between each of the tracks while maintaining a crazy level of energy, and the bite is back up and kicking as violently as we perhaps haven’t heard off KATAKYLM for a long while. As far as it’s title goes, it’s fair to say that KATAKLYSM still have the chops to push against the expected and rally listeners to carry on fighting tooth and nail.

Rating: 8/10

Unconquered is set for release on September 25th via Nuclear Blast Records.

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