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Kataklysm - In The Arms Of Devastation review



Reviewer:
5.0

244 users:
8.08
Band: Kataklysm
Album: In The Arms Of Devastation
Release date: February 2006


Disc I
01. Like Angels Weeping (The Dark)
02. Let Them Burn
03. Crippled & Broken
04. To Reign Again
05. It Turns To Rust
06. Open Scars
07. Temptation's Nest
08. In Words Of Desperation
09. The Road To Devastation

Disc II [DVD] [limited edition bonus]
+ The End Of Serenity [Live in Strasbourg]
+ Crippled & Broken [video]
+ To Reign Again [video]

What the hell happened? Where's that old Kataklysm that delivered us such amazing tracks like "Frozen In Time" "Mould In A Breed" and "World Of Treason"? I'm not sure of what to think right now, I actually thought I was going to hear one of the most explosive albums of 2006, what did I get? Average music with uninspired songwriting and boring structures and sequences; this band had a great Death Metal feeling, now they are upside down or something I can't accurately explain.

"Serenity In Fire" wasn't a good album I recall, though songs like "The Ambassador Of Pain" or "For all Our Sins" had a strong frequency with unmatched power and violence; this new album called "In The Arms Of Devastation" has as well some good parts (for example that incredible last track which totally blew me away), the huge difference comes in the bad parts which are really freaking awful and boring, fact lost in their past albums actually.

For the amateur ears this album will sound decent I'm sure, Kataklysm were smart enough to add a couple of long (but simplistic) guitar solos to the mix so people would say "damn that was like? cool or something right?". The truth is this piece is nothing new, on the contrary is an unoriginal and failed effort to sound like the old days; the overall environment just doesn't fit correctly with anything, there are a lot of riffs and uncountable breakdowns which sound like "thrown" to the CD in the last minute if you know what I mean.

The CD runs smoothly though, there are enough grooves and beats there to head-bang like a maniac over and over again till your neck snaps; that's not a bad nor a good thing of course, you can also head-bang to a "pressure cooker" tempo too and that does not mean pressure cookers do good music you see? The fact is that the music shown in this album is great to do that kind of "cool" stuff, but if you are looking for intelligent music or inventiveness just look somewhere else, because once you pay attention to the tunes you'll get bored immediately for sure.

The production is a really good thing though, I love when the listener is able to appreciate each and every instrument independently, so thumbs up to the sound engineer. So, I recommend you to download that last track and that's it, don't waste your money on this album because you'll get angry and your liver could explode instantly splattering your walls, your cute pet, maybe even your mom and your nice couch, you don't want that to happen do you?

Written by Herzebeth | 24.02.2006




Comments

Comments: 15   Visited by: 151 users
29.06.2006 - 20:51
Emperor Sidious
Account deleted
yeah dude i agree with u all the way. This Album just flunked man, i also thought it was gonna be a killer album but i guess not. !
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07.07.2006 - 05:12
Daniel

doesent matter,most death metal is crap anyways, but thats just my opinion ..
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In The Cold Winds of Nowhere
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07.07.2006 - 06:43
Rating: 7
Dangerboner
Lactation Cnslt
At first I was disappointed with this album, but I've grown to like it. It's not as crazy as their previous stuff and there are some recycled riffs but it has the best production quality and the best sounding vocals out of all of their releases.
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16.08.2006 - 11:06
The Mu-Mu Thing.
Account deleted
a VERY good review, must say i've never been a big fan of kataklysm, but this album disappointed me.. no feeling, i'd say..
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30.09.2006 - 02:56
Rating: 9
lordz
IzZo
I liked three songs in this album Crippled & Broken, To Reign Again & The Road To Devastation.
The last one I mentioned has a black metal touch to it and sounds fantastic... love the song. I would give it an 8/10
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02.10.2006 - 19:59
Baz Anderson

I have actually only heard this album once and that one time definitly did not captivate me as other Kataklysm albums have done
I hope future for releases they pick themselves up again
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22.12.2006 - 16:40
Rating: 9
Glabrezu

I don't know the other Kataklysm album but I disagree... Good album, excellent sound quality: 9/10
I prefer 'Like Angels Weeping' & 'In Words of Desperation'
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Exploring life
Without fear without feeling
I am one with my torment
And forever blind
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12.03.2007 - 08:22
Necrovore

Kataklysm have been on a horrid downhill slope since 'Epic: The Poetry of War,' and this is the absolute bottom. What crap.
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18.05.2007 - 17:32
ChristianMetaler
Account deleted
I disagree on the review. I found this album completely fucking killer. Just as good as Serenity in Fire *which also kicked ass*. Well done Kataklysm 9/10
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20.05.2008 - 11:55
SETHULHU
yogi_lb@hotmail.com
oki even though the review is understandable as the album is not exatly full KATAKLYSM DEATH, but the labums rocks hard. i love it..

iam not a death metal fan, but kataklysm have always amazed me with their style (songs that dont resemble awakener) and they are powerfull on stage.

i would say, this album, as well as serenity in fire, is not for the true death fans, but for those who like some death in their coffee.. (like me).
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This site is great. FOR ME TO POOP ON.

reBubblefuckered !!!BAAAALEEETEEED!!!
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28.02.2009 - 15:29
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
The recent Kataklym works are better than the older ones in my opinion. I simply hated ''Victms of the fallen world'' and the two first albuns are nothing special.
The newer albuns have a melodic tone that called my attention... ''Serenity in Fire'' is my favorite of the band. This album is truly worse, but its not even close to be a bad album, absolutly doesnt deserve a 5.
One thing is true in the review: the adding of the long guitar solos in the middle of the songs (that really doesnt have much to do with the rest of the music). We can see this from the first track.
It deserves a 7,5...
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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11.05.2010 - 18:00
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
Its a sub par album about a 7 not bad but not great. love like angels!!! "revenge is a meal best served cold"
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14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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19.09.2013 - 15:25
sordid

Don't agree with this review!i find this album to be a lot more deep than other works.melodic death metal above the average!!!
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30.01.2014 - 13:03
Rating: 9
zarakkazak

Best album they ever released
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03.07.2015 - 17:42
sordid

5? lol. come on... did you get paid by other Death metal bands to say nasty things about this album? XD just joking. i really like this album. i don't care about what they played before. this album has great melodic death metal tunes... and great neck breaking riffs.they aren't innovating? and so what? i wouldn't give it less than 7,5
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