KATAKLYSM: "Heaven's Venom"      Nuclear Blast

The follow-up to 2008's "Prevail" is produced by Kataklysm guitarist Jean-François Dagenais and mixed by Tue Madsen 

An exciting new mighty beast.

The main characteristic I find in this new  Kataklysm studio-album is the will to show the maximal might, a colossal might. Difficult task because Kataklysm is The Hyperblaster. But yes,  Kataklysm has surpassed its own power. The excellent thing is that the melodic vein is present and strong like before. Only superficially it might seem another  typical Kataklysm album…or better said ...yes it is, but there are many details that make this product different from the previous ones, which were already diversified. New enough is the way in which the tempo changes are presented, all is sparkling like erupted lava, new is  the presence of a more elaborated fantasy in the Kataklysm sound (as for example in Numb & Intoxicated), and a subtle but strong rocking, Heavy Metal stream in the extreme Death Metal, and pagan elements too (At The Edge Of The World and Suicide River). This album is straight-in your face yet chugging and sometimes even elaborated. The sound exalts the rhythmic section, while the rhythmic section emphasizes the sound, practically a circle that nourishes itself. The guitars are varied with solos and very good  tremolos too (especially in Blind Saviour), guitar and bass lines get sometimes simply brilliant contours (Blind Saviour, Suicide River, Hail The Renegade). As mentioned before, each song has something new and of course each song is different from the other, let's take as example the track As The Walls Collapse, with a certain pagan flair, with breathtaking pace-changes. The fast hyperblasting  upheaval is unleashed with brutal passion but also with golden melodic inspiration, an inspiration which is even sorrowful and touching like in the incredible and unmistakable Suicide River. Blind Saviour closes the album with a slower tempo and with a hymn -blackened vein, a bit sorrowful yet determined and aggressive. You may think that I 'm digging the second part of the album the most. No. The first part is also very interesting.  The opener A Soulless God and Determined immediately seem the songs which are more typical for  Kataklysm, nonetheless these tracks too have been injected with fresh patterns. Fresh patterns that manifest clearly in  Faith Made Of Shrapnel. The typical Kataklysm mid tempo opens up the mosh -monster Push The Venom which  is a song that you love or hate; it is one of Mr. Maurizio Iacono's faves but i am sincere when i say i don't like it. But i know that this track in preview has already lots of fans.  Hail The Renegade is a "prosit" with cool bass lines, a song that is a companion. Interesting the presence of a JFK speech. 

Shortly my comment for each song:

A Soulless God - yes, cool

Determined (Vows Of Vengeance) - yes

Faith Made Of Shrapnel - very interesting
Push The Venom - love or hate it. i hate it :D 
Hail The Renegade - nice hymn
As The Walls Collapse - super

Numb & Intoxicated - superb
At The Edge Of The World - great
Suicide River - fantastic and crude, tormented
Blind Savior - yes

All in all Heaven's Venom seems the best fusion of the latest two releases with fresh ideas. All this is possible also because max Duhamel's drumming is so brilliant that allows the band to be so fresh and creative. What Mr. Dagenais told me in a recent interview concerning Max Duhamel .."Max hyperblasting skills are flawless on these songs, it makes him shines more as a drummer i think" is true. Finally, vocals are more evil and raw, practically without the second shouting timbre, at times reverberating and very reactive as the mirror of the lyrics that suggest to never give up .  Here Kataklysm have the brutal enthusiasm and the sensibility of Shadows & Dust  and In The Arms Of Devastation, are more natural than in Serenity In Fire and less arrogant than in Prevail. Kataklysm as fresh and original  Kataklysm. The next year Kataklysm will celebrate 20 years of career, but the music seems so youthful and exciting. Heaven's Venom is an exciting new mighty beast.

10 /10

dalia di giacomo     06.08.2010

Dagenais previously stated about the new CD, "Everything you wish for in a KATAKLYSM album is here and some unexpected musical adventures as well. Everyone here has given 150% of themselves!

"As KATAKLYSM turns twenty next year, we want to be remembered as the band who never gave up and faced the odds. This explosive slab of metal will lead scene for future conquests and not be forgotten ever. The music, the vocals and the production are all top notch."

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