Cataract

Following up the success of fourth effort Kingdom would be no small feat for Cataract. As this collection of dominating riffs, growling vocals and ferocious drum beats proves, these angry Swedes have done it again. Thick and rumbling while still precise and clear, the rapid-paced delivery of Cataract’s ten tracks is yet another high point for the band and the meeting ground between thrash and death metal. Fiery in spirit, songs such as "Tonight We Dine In Hell,” "Blackest Hour” and "Choke Down” are primarily death-influenced dirges that occasionally slip into slow, moody territory in order to intensify the bleak atmosphere that pervades. Still, largely due to the pragmatism utilised in the creation of each track, there is little fat overall. The songs are respectively lean while still making an undeniable point. Smashing the decisive sonic quality of the Gothenburg scene together with hardcore’s rumbling undertone and Cannibal Corpse-ish blast beats, Cataract is yet another high mark for this somewhat underrated band.