CoC : Kataklysm - Shadows & Dust : Review

Kataklysm - _Shadows & Dust_
(Nuclear Blast, 2002)
by: Xander Hoose (9 out of 10)

Over the years since I have been following Kataklysm's activities I've seen them go through ups and downs, but I never expected them to regain their former status after the disastrous _Victims of This Fallen World_. However, surely Kataklysm managed to overcome their line-up problems and fought to regain respect and reputation, going into the third album with the new line-up: _Shadows & Dust_. It is debatable if pumping out a new album each year is too frequent to keep delivering good songs, but fact is that _Shadows & Dust_, like its two predecessors, has some very strong points as well as some weaker ones. What strikes me most when comparing the three releases is that the production on _Shadows & Dust_ is crystal clear, giving especially the drums a much better place in the musical spectrum. The vocals are shifting once more; they sound a lot less forced than on _The Prophecy_ but have a more generic feeling to them compared to _Epic_ -- which is not necessarily a bad thing, but I do prefer the other style. Giving this disc a few spins there's another thing striking me: the song structures of _Shadows & Dust_ are more and more reminiscent of the early Kataklysm material, to the point where I would say that on its peak moments this album is a modernized version of 1996's _Temple of Knowledge_. Whether fans of the early material will accept this sleek and almost over-produced style I can't say, but I personally think this album is the best in their new style.

(article published 16/3/2003)

ALBUMS
11/10/2013	A El Naby	4	Kataklysm - Waiting For the End to Come
1/25/2004	J Smit	5	Kataklysm - Serenity in Fire
10/1/1998	P Schwarz	6.5	Kataklysm - Victims of This Fallen World
8/12/1996	A Bromley	9	Kataklysm - Temple Of Knowledge (Kataklysm Part III)

GIGS
5/7/2004	J Smit	Cannibal Corpse / Kataklysm / Gorerotted	All Murder, All Guts, All Fun
9/1/1998	P Schwarz	Brutal Truth / Kataklysm / Solus / The Swarm	True Brutality Under Extreme Conditions