Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Kataklysm Prevail Company: Nuclear Blast Release: 2008 Reviewer: Hail and Kill Genre:

Effortlessly shifting from Thrash to Death to Power

As soon as the token movie line ends a barrage of hyperblasts layered with a growled 'Prevaaail!' greets the listener and introduces Kataklysm's newest opus. The title track alone is a relentless exercise in musical resplendence and Heavy Metal majesty. You can imagine a shower of sparks falling to the ground while Maurizio Iacono grunts "...time has come/Crush your enemies one by one." This is just, great, great, great Heavy Metal that straddles today's most popular genres, combining them for the peerless aural feat that's 'Prevail'. 'Taking the World by Storm' is another classic worth raising your horns to, shifting between a slow head-bobbing tempo and sudden thrashy spurts at the chorus. What's undeniably obvious throughout this record is the band made it a point to create something timeless and universal. If you dig Pantera, Archenemy, Killswitch Engage, and Hammerfall, you'll have no problem getting into Kataklysm's present incarnation. Streamlined and flawless, effortlessly shifting from Thrash to Death to Power, this is the epitome of 21st century Metal. 'The Chains of Power,' 'As Death Lingers' and 'Blood in Heaven' are all, for lack of any decent superlatives, too good to be true; stomping epic shit that's likely to give you an erection. Now the soloing may be a rare feat for Kataklysm but Francois Dagenais goes the extra mile on a song or two. 'Throne of Sorrow' is an irresistible sing-along dripping with brutality and might. Qualities also heard in 'Breathe to Dominate,' 'The Vultures are Watching' and 'Tear Down the Kingdom.' The whole finally ends with the no frills instrumental 'Rennaisance II.' Considering the amount of great stuff coming out this year (from--just to name a few--Testament, Metallica, Trivium, Slipknot, Biomechanical, Judas Priest) 'Prevail' might not qualify as 2008's best, but it's a strong contender for the title. Very much like the enthroned Heartbest on its cover, Kataklysm deserve to sit above today's Heavy Metal heap with this victorious obra maestra.