The answer is a qualified "yes", as Catholicon are a particularly brutal take on the genre. Riffs and guttural growls more commonly associated with brutal death metal surface fairly frequently, whilst their unsubtle brand of blasphemy is far removed from the much loved goth existentialist eroticism nonsense that dominates.

Whilst the guitars are delightfully heavy, the drumming is somewhat less than stellar, and the rasp is not too far removed from what is expected form the genre. The album further suffers from a lack of coherency, as Catholicon move uncomfortably between short and straightforward numbers and longer and more complex tracks.

Catholicon do not entirely succeed in separating themselves form the other symphonic acts that litter the scene, but they should be commended for at least trying to establish an identity in this hotly contested field.