Year: 2020
Total Time: 38:00
Label: Nuclear Blast

Those Canadians were created almost two decades ago, having earned their reputation and a remarkable name, especially for the genre they represent which is melodic Death Metal. They have established themselves with some great albums, one of which won the Canadian Grammy\Awards. So KATAKLYSM returns with its 14th studio album entitled “Unconquered”.

The first thing that comes to mind when the opening track “The Killshot” starts, is how “low” the riffs sound. This feeling, the modern feeling, adds to the overall outcome of the ensemble and is everywhere on the record, but it’s really remarkable in this killer opener!

“Cut Me Down” is a very good arrangement including faster rhythms, with which the band is doing very well on this album. There is melody, but the real winner is the dynamics of each song. The really “low” riffs come again dynamically in “Underneath The Scars”, continuing to give this modern feeling that floods “Unconquered”.

Death Metal is a challenging genre, not for the obvious reasons that come to mind. It certainly has to do with the artist being brutal, extreme and at the same time technical but no, it is not that the major challenge. The really challenging part is keeping the interest of the public with your music. Musicians need to stay inspired, especially if they want to keep their band alive and not become self-serving artists. And KATAKLYSM with their changes in this new job, seem to achieve this.

Their sound and direction have gradually changed over the decades, perhaps losing some fans along the way but, fourteen albums later, KATAKLYSM keep on maintaining their reputation and quality.

Rating: 6.5/10
Editor: Fanouris Exintavelonis
Related Link: KATAKLYSM – Official Page