Cosmiclava where the lava flows

Black Metal is a pretty difficult genre for me, because there are so much worse and average "satan-is-master-and-I'm-evil-and-misanthropic" band's around, and apart of the mostly boring music I see the entire attitude as a bloody commercial joke. Of course, there are some refreshing bands around, that are too clever to be caught in all this nonsense, and one of them are German KATHAARIA. The band was formed in 1999, as a three-piece, but two years later the drummer left the band and both members decided to carry on as a two-piece. In 2003 KATHAARIA finally finishes to record and release this Promo CD-R, which contains the two new tracks "Venus Dementia" and "To Dare Not Speak It's Name", the four tracks from their Promo 2000 tape and a cover from Japanese Black Metal cult-act Sabbat.

I've reviewed the tape a year before, and this CD-R brought back the good rememberance, and in opposite to the old tracks, KATHAARIA have expanded their dark sound to a wider musical spectrum. While in former times, the band was mostly fast as hell, the two new tracks are coming up with a mass of complex chord-changes, and the typical fast and harsh themes. Sadly, they haven't incorporated more slower parts like in "Chamber Of Spirits", with its "Frosty" vibe. But apart of my personal taste, it's good to hear, that KATHAARIA are becoming a stronger own identity, without losing their roots. I hope, they'll find a drummer, though bassplayer John had done a very good job at playing the drums in the two new tracks. I'm looking forward to the first full-length album, entitled "The Complex Void Of Negativity", because this is a promising "start". All interested label or anybody else can contact J. Grumptmann at: selfdestructpulse(at)web.de or mail to Opolus at: opomoz(at)hotmail.com

(KK)