Showing posts with label Katharos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Katharos. Show all posts

Monday, March 7, 2022

Katharos/Of Lineages Long Forgotten/Willowtip Records/2022 CD Review

 


  Katharos  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Of  Lineages  Long  Forgotten"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Willowtip  Records.


  Marching  sounds  and  battle  horns  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  technical  sounding  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  symphonic  elements  also  being  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.


  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  A  lot  of  the  riffing  is  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  death  metal  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.


  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  technical  style,  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Gnosticism,  Phenomenology  and  Anti  Christianity  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Katharos  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Those  Hornclad"  "The  World  Serpent's  Marrow"  and  "Most  Dread  Portent".  8  out  of  10.


https://katharosswe.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.facebook.com/katharosswe

https://www.instagram.com/katharosofficial/


https://youtu.be/_GYl2ULd4tw          

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Katharos Interview


Katharos Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

I would describe our music as symphonic black metal, influenced by classical music and death metal. What we try to accomplish is, without trying to be pretentious, a certain complexity to our songs, simply because we find it stimulating. Therefore I would say that our songs could be quite rewarding to be listened to several times. At every moment in the songs, there are several layers of guitars and synths.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?

On Exuvian Heraldry we promoted a more clean and epic sound, rather than the typical black metal rawness. With so much going on in the songs, with several layers of different guitar riffs/leads and synths, the soundscape is more emphasized on mid and treble, rather than bass.

3.This is your first release since 2007, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?

Rehearsing, writing and recording is, as all who ever played in a band knows, very time– and energy consuming. Hence, a break was needed. A break that lasted for several years, but ended as we felt that the time and motivation had come back. We have several uncompleted songs and have started to write new ones. So expect the next release not to take as long as Exuvian Heraldry.

4.Your lyrics cover Gnosticism, Anti Christian and Phenomenology themes. can you tell us a little bit more about your intrest in those topics?

Religion in general, and Gnosticism in particular, was one of my major interest when writing the lyrics for Exuvian Heraldry. It goes without saying that as fans of death- and black metal, we are interested in understanding subjects that are beyond conventions and norms, and especially views that are contrarian or anti those. The contrarian standing-point of Gnosticism is quite fascinating and inspiring, which made it easy to apply as setting for the album lyrics. On Exuvian Heraldry the lyrics that touches upon themes of phenomenology or anti-christianity trickled down from the overarching gnostic theme.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Katharos'?

The name also relates to Gnosticism, as Katharos was the denomination the Cathars applied to their community. The Cathars were a loosely organized, unhierarchical religious movement in midieval southern Europe which by the Catholic church was branded as heretic. As a result its members were persecuted and later massacred. The name is actually the greek word for pure or clean; Katharos. An interesting fact is that the Catholic church continued to call enemies of the catholic church, in general, Cathars. Today, in several languages, the word for heretic directly stems from this use of Cathars, that is; people who are against the church. Even so in the Swedish language.


6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Katharos has yet not performed live, even though all of us frequently performed live with our other bands.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

We are getting offers, and are preparing to be able to play live after the album has been released on vinyl.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of symphonic black metal?

It has been really great. I am especially humbled by a small group of people who, since our demo (‘De Cinere’ in 2007) have kept writing to us, wondering about when new material would be released.

9.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Yes, ‘Repuked’ and ‘Negative Self’ are two metal outfits that our members are active in.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
   
In general we will probably maintain several elements from Exuvian Heraldry, while some of the new material, however, will have a slower tempo. The guitars will probably fill a bigger space in the soundscape, while the synth arrangements might become more symphonic. I guess ‘epic and brutal’ is the mindset!

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Our main inspiration from the symphonic black metal genre is definitely Emperor, particularly in how you combine guitar leads with synths. To me, Dimmu Borgir and Anorexia Nervosa are also two major sources of inspiration.

Today I would say we consume all kinds of music, including the bands mentioned above. Within the genre, I currently listen to Obsequiae and Deathspell Omega.
  

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Just a big ‘thank you’ to all those who enjoy and spread our music!

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Thursday, February 2, 2017

Katharos/Exuvian Heraldry/Sliptrick Records/2017 CD Review


  Katharos  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Exuvian  Heraldry"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  Tragic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  after  awhile  they  go  into  a  heavier  direction  while  also  retaining  the  symphonic  elements  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Death  metal  growls  re  also  utilized  at  times  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  few  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  the  fast  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  melodic  chanting.

  Katharos  plays a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  symphonic  in  the  mid  90's  style  while  also  adding  in  touches  of  death  metal  which  also  makes  the  music  stand  out  a  lot  more,  the  production   sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Italian  and  English  and  cover  Anti  Christianity,  Gnosticism,  and  Phenomenology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Katharos  are  a very  great  sounding  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Thy  Fortress  Of  Regret"  "Schaktet"  and  "Awakening  Of  The  Converted".  8  out  of 10.

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