Customer Reviews

Heavens Venom

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When In The Arms Of Devastation came out, it was easily regarded as one of Kataklysm's best, and an all-around killer death metal record for obvious reasons: killer hooks, killer groove, solid production, great mixing courtesy of Tue Madsen (Mnemic, Dark Tranquillity, Heaven Shall Burn), etc. When Prevail came out, it seemed like for some you had to be a big Kataklysm fan to enjoy it as it focused on groove and melody. Oh, I love that record, I've got nothing bad to say about it. One of my favorites thing about that record is the guest appearances from Dave Linsk (Overkill), Pat O'Brien (Cannibal Corpse), and their mixing engineer for that record, Jason Suecof. Here we have Heaven's Venom, the band's heaviest and quite possibly best album yet. I think that the band recognized how good of a job they had done with In The Arms Of Devastation, and I think they've even claimed on one or two occasions how proud of that record they were. So, it's quite apparent that they wanted to make something in the similar spirit of that record, and build up on it. Tue Madsen did such an unbelievably awesome job on Devastation that he was once again hired to mix and master. Now, none of this goes to say that they've made a sequel to Devastation, but if that's the record that you most enjoyed, then Heaven's Venom will not disappoint.

Kataklysm has largely been successful due to the innovative guitaring of Jean-Francois Gagenais. His continued excellence in changing his sound with melodic heaviness keeps this brand fresh. In terms, of Death metal I know of no other band as good. They don't reach their heights of their time with Producer Peter Taggern who did serenity of fire with them but still they do it better than anyone else. There's no fluff and no filler. This is all death metal fresh as can be. They put on a good show live too and kill it. Buy it.

I am not much of a fan of euro metal.When i heard "Soulless God" on Liquid Metal,I ordered Heavens Venom as fast as I could!!! Absolutely BROOTAL!!!!

I may not be the first to say this but I think that Kataklysm got so much flak for not really sounding enough like typical death metal that they decided to put out an album which is undeniably Death Metal, and unequivically 'as good as it's ever been'. Death metal being a typically mind numingly dull genre; I am careful what I choose amongst this genre. I have purchased three other Kataklysm albums and only like their recent three as far as I know, In the Arms of Devastation and beyond. I would say that the best thing about Kataklysm is that they're usually clear enough in their lyrics that you can either understand them, or learn the lyrics off the slip-cover then understand them. And they're just plain better than anything else out there calling themselves Death Metal, and no one's jabbing me with a hot cattle brand to make me say that. Tell it like it is: torture, hate, violence, and a minor few ascensions above such earthly values. The meager few of which, are meaningless to us! Okay, I know it's all an act; but he sings it with such conviction.

A good album but short of great. In the arms of devastation I consider one of the better albums Ive ever heard from a death metal band and Ive seen many reviews giving this a similar rating in comparing the two. I myself cannot agree to this. It is solid and I rank it higher than prevail but it lacks the groove of In the arms of devastation. A solid album sure to please fans and newcomers but falls short of in the arms of devastion.

Crushing, heavy, down tuned guitars to blast-beat drums come together in a heavy fast brutal dark death metal album. Great album, every song is good as the next and but that's not to say that there aren't songs that are way better. Definitely an album that should be considered for album of the year.