Artist: Catastrophic
Label: Metal Blade
Release Date: 3/6/01
|
|
Title: The Cleansing Artist: Catastrophic Label: Metal Blade Release Date: 3/6/01 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
|
2 | ||
|
3 | ||
|
4 | ||
|
|
Go to Reader Reviews | ||
Abyss's Review:
Well a band with connections to Obituary can’t be that bad, can they? This album spurred me on to open up a few of the old classics, as I haven’t listened to Obituary in ages. You know what? If Obituary came out today, I’d probably not give them a second listen. I actually have a hard time admitting that to myself, considering how much I used to enjoy them, and how I still hear their influence heard today. But they just seem a little passé on my own personal time line of what’s cool and what’s not. That isn’t to say I might not feel differently in the future, but right now they’re just not doing it for me.
"Everything on this album was pretty much already done by all of the mid-paced, accessible death acts." “What the Hell does that have to do with Catastrophic?”, you might ask. Well, even though it is by no means a clone of the aforementioned band, it hits me in the exact same way. This is coming across as surprisingly blasé. There really isn’t anything here to distinguish this band from the glut of nicheless death metal bands that exploded in the early to mid 90s. While there is definitely aggression and heft here, the songs are basically unremarkable, paling in comparison to the newer death that’s out there right now (Lamb of God, Dying Fetus, etc.) Everything on this album was pretty much already done by all of the mid-paced, accessible death acts. And while this band doesn’t really sound like a re-incarnation of Obituary, the guitar sound is generally the same, and hits in much the same way Worldly Demise did.
This band also has a tendency to leave their songs un-(or at least under-)developed. Many a song starts out with a catchy or interesting riff, but instead of building on that, the songs just tend to stagnate. Just as almost every one of my report cards stated, this “Has potential, but lacks initiative” (not to mention “Must be aware of personal hygiene.") Bottom line is that if you like pretty much every death metal disc you hear, this one won’t really disappoint you, but the more discerning metalhead should probably pass on this one.
"Has potential, but lacks initiative."
Death's Review:
Catastrophic guitar player Trevor Peres was a primary songwriter for Florida death metal pioneers Obituary, and it shows. Do you remember that Obituary guitar sound? That, warm, fuzzy, naturally distorted blunt bludgeoning -type guitar sound? The one by which you could recognize a track off Slowly We Rot from a mile away? Well, that guitar sound and those riffs now reside (at least part-time) in Catastrophic.
Vocally, Keith DeVito does the Florida death thing well, although if we are going to get subtle about it, he is a bit more on the early Chuck Shuldiner side of that spectrum. Musically, Catastrophic is a bit slower than was Obituary, infusing a bit more of an S.O.D. -style hardcore approach into the proceedings than Obituary did. Sure, there are faster parts, but that doesn't seem to be what Catastrophic is all about.
"A solid release but nothing all that special." How's this for a descriptive analogy? Obituary meets S.O.D. meets the Misfits meets early Death. To me, this combo is cool, and The Cleansing sounds better than I expected after seeing Catastrophic play what was felt like kind of a dud gig at CBGB's a month or so back. Still, for me, The Cleansing is merely average, and does not rise above. Perhaps you'll get more out of it, but for me, the bottom line is that this is a solid release but nothing all that special.
Hel's Review:
Catastrophic is, in a nutshell, straight-forward, no-frills death metal. Not as relentlessly pace-obsessed or flashily technical as some bands out there, but no less lacking in substance for that. While this may not instantly leap out as an impressive album, it has an enduring ability to entertain. It is not ground-breaking, or an amazing feat of anything in particular, but an album that will take you through the aggression of your day in a happier, death metal, kind of way.
"An album that will take you through the aggression of your day in a happier, death metal, kind of way." I saw these guys play last month, before I heard the album, at CBGB's, and I was surprised at the lukewarm to non-existent response they received from the crowd. At the time, I didn't think they were bad, but I seemed to be of the few people in the place who even tried to pay attention to them, and that whole incident had been nagging me ever since. Walking around listening to The Cleansing, it finally dawned on me. Catastrophic is generally more mid-tempo in comparison to the bands they played with that night, namely Skinless and Lamb of God, and the audience, no more knowing what to expect than I, was caught flat-footed.
This entire experience has been cathartic for me. I was finally able to put my mind at ease regarding the live issue, and I was finally able to give into the heavy, groovy, catchiness which is so much fun to use as a soundtrack for life. I'm telling you, there's nothing more calming while walking the streets of Manhattan than some solid, entertaining death metal blasting in your head. This may take a few spins to grow on you, but if you're looking for another dose of death metal, by all means spin this one.
[- Metal Judgment Home -] [- Email Metal Judgment -]
©1999 Metal Judgment. All rights reserved.