Cataract
With Triumph Comes Loss

October 2004
Released: 2004, Metal Blade
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Lord of the Wasteland

Like chlamydia through a college dorm, the metalcore movement seems to be spreading across Europe like wildfire. Though initially a North American phenomenon, European metalcore started to get some buzz earlier this year when Germany’s Heaven Shall Burn came out of the gates like gangbusters and now Swiss exports, Cataract, are picking up the flank. Besides Celtic Frost and Samael, I can’t think of another Swiss metal band, so Cataract must be a rare thing in that country. WITH TRIUMPH COMES LOSS tends to lean more towards the hardcore side of things than the metal side, but, man, can these guys dish it out! This album is heavy as hell, dripping with Slayer-influenced riffs, Hatebreed-styled vocals and some amazing drumwork. Danish producer, Tue Madsen (The Haunted, Heaven Shall Burn, Hatesphere), recorded, produced, edited, engineered and mastered the CD at his home studio, Antfarm in Aarhus, Denmark. Hatesphere’s Jacob Bredahl even shows up to do some vocal work, though he is not credited to any songs in particular.



“Killing Tool” gets bodies thrashing and necks snapping right away. The thrashy riffs, killer drums and ultra-heavy vocals whet the appetite for what is to come. “Nothing’s Left” features more hardcore-type vocals but the songs lays nonetheless. The machine gun drums of Ricky Durst just pummel! Federico Carminitana opens “Vanished In The Dark” with a great scream that leads into more raw fury and aggression. “As We Speak” opens with a riff that sounds very similar to Slayer’s “Raining Blood.” Durst’s drums are the highlight of this song as the double bass is just phenomenal. Like “Killing Tool,” “Reborn From Fire” is one of the heaviest tracks here and is bound to be a live favorite among the moshpits. Durst makes his presence known once again on “Saving Shelter” as the snapping double bass just thumps through your sternum. There isn’t a lot of variety in the songs and most follow the same pattern until the title track wraps things up. The slower tempo continues on for over seven minutes but is a welcome break from the non-stop ferocity laid out in the half hour that led up to it.



Like many metalcore records, variety is sorely lacking and that has befallen WITH TRIUMPH COMES LOSS, as well. There just isn’t enough of a change in pace or deviation from what seems to be a common formula that was laid out in the songwriting process to get excited about. Yes, this album kicks some serious ass but one song almost becomes the next without even knowing it. Cataract is still a young band with what should be great success ahead of them. Hopefully they can grow as songwriters and make a more diverse record than this one the next time around.



KILLER KUTS: “Killing Tool,” “Nothing’s Left,” “Vanished In The Dark,” “As We Speak,” “With Triumph Comes Loss”