Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Throne of Katarsis - The Three Transcendental Keys [Candlelight Records - 2013]

Norwegian black metal band Throne of Katarsis has been bringing us hell since 2002.  Originally a two piece, the group now consist of four players and their latest album "The Three Transcendental Keys" recorded live in studio shows the power of this line-up change.  The fact that this album is recorded live removes it from any of the trite over-production that much recent black metal has fallen victim to, and provides us with a raw and heady listening experience.  The record is in three acts, each labeled as one of the three "Transcendental Keys".

The first key is one of those tracks that is so fast that it feels slow, a time mangling effect that is strange and enjoyable.  The vocals are in a long verbed out wash, a series of long inhuman growls that almost seem pitched down but most likely are not.  At times the vocals are reminiscent of Tibetan chant, bringing to mind Attila.  The drums and guitars seem to act autonomously yet go together perfectly.  The guitars have an awesome dark sound and towards the end of the track begin to feel like a train being derailed and destroying everything in its path, powerful stuff!
 

The second key begins with a long drawn out intro that eventually breaks into heaping waves of guitar and vocals, the guitars moving fast and the vocals moving slowly creating some really interesting dynamics with disjointed solos and odd timing changes.  The vocals have so much reverb at times that they feel icy and glass-like, blending in and out of the strange bleeding textures of the guitar.  The track becomes frantic towards the middle then dissolves into painful sounding singing before reintroducing the intro.  From here we enter a section with sparse drums and vocals that burst back into the full power then fall apart into guitar feedback and stomping rhythms.  The outro which is mellower than the rest of the track is also a highlight.
 

The third key comes in with a somewhat typical but still cool beginning.  This twenty minute epic utilizes hypnotic repetition to much effect.  The guitars then carry the washed out tune with intermixed smatterings of bass, then it turns into a wall of force, and then back again, this pattern repeating itself for a while.  The track feels like its the hangover to the drunken franticness of the first two songs, and although this track is less interesting than the others it ends powerfully with some really twisted guitar lines.

Highly recommended for fans of black metal, a truly great record and an intense listen, and this music is tough like it should be!

Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

Jean-Paul Garnier
Latest Reviews

Throne of Katarsis - The Three Tr...
Norwegian black metal band Throne of Katarsis has been bringing us hell since 2002.  Originally a two piece, the group now consist of four players and t...
240424   Koobaatoo Asparagus - Onna-musha
240424   Magda - And Suddenly, Just L...
230424   Andrea Taeggi - Nattdett
230424   Seedpeople - SeedPeople(Blu Ray)
220424   Shiver - Shiver Meets Matthew...
220424   Elegant Beast - Elegant Beast...
190424   Zachary James Watkins - Affir...
180424   Ulvtharm - 7 Uthras
180424   The Bad Shepherd - The Bad Sh...
180424   Impulse - Impulse( Blu Ray)
Latest Articles

The Music of Clay Ruby & Burial H...
Over the last couple of decades Wisconsin native, Clay Ruby has been creating some of the world’s finest dark electronic music under the Burial Hex mon...
280324   The Music of Clay Ruby & Buri...
290224   Sutcliffe No More - Normal Ev...
100124   Occlusion - The Operation Is...
181223   Best Of 2023 - Music, Sound &...
051223   Powerhouse Films - Of Magic, ...
181023   IO - Of Sound, Of Art, Of Exp...
210923   Lucky Cerruti - Of Not so Fri...
290823   The Residents - The Trouble W...
110723   Yotzeret Sheydim Interview - ...
250523   TenHornedBeast - Into The Dee...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2023. Twenty two years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom