On their 3rd full length release entitled World Without End Germany's Katharsis have created a Black Metal masterpiece unrivaled in both aggression and insanity. This trio is not to be confused with their fellow progressive/ metal namesakes who also hail from Germany and in all honesty after one listen to World Without End the obvious differences in musical style should be blatantly apparent. After the first couple of listens to this disc my initial feelings were ones of indifference as I didn't recognize some of the dark nuances buried beneath the overwhelmingly apparent speed and brutality of the first couple of songs, particularly "Eden Below" which segues straight into "Kross Fyre". These two tracks almost feel one and the same and they act as a perfect one, two punch absolutely pummeling the listener into submission in just less than 15 minutes. Does this mean they let up with their 3rd track, the 11 minute "Wytchdance"? Well not exactly. This song highlights the incredibly tortured vocals of Drakh which are on display throughout the album but rise to the fore here. One cannot overlook the feverish drumming of M.K. as well as the infernal, jacked up treble riffing from guitarist Scorn. They also add a few tempo changes to give the listener a bit of variety not to mention a bit of a break as well. "Ascent from Ghoulgotha" opens with another trademark sinister riff from Scorn before the track quickly explodes like a live grenade, delivering more unrelenting mayhem. You get more of the same full frontal attack on the brief but extremely potent "Kosmik Sacrifice" before the disc comes to a close with the epic title track. The band saved the best for last in my opinion with the final number which alone justifies the price of the CD. It may be slower paced than the rest of the album but it definitely surpasses the other tracks for its sheer potency. This is 16 minutes of justification for the genre right here.
World Without End is quite simply the best Black Metal release that I've heard so far this year and as far as underground, extreme music is concerned you'd be hard pressed to find something to surpass it. As mentioned there is a lot more going on in the music itself than is readily apparent and while the music is not extremly complex or technical they cover this quite well with a tons of atmosphere. The album is recorded loud and is meant to be played as such. If the apocalypse was or is around the corner , by purchasing this disc you'll be holding the soundtrack to the big event in your very own hands.
Track Listing
1) Eden Below
2) Kross Fyre
3) Wytchdance
4) Ascent From Ghoulgotha
5) Kosmik Sacrifice
6) World Without End
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