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Kataxu - Hunger Of Elements review



Reviewer:
8.5

32 users:
8.34
Band: Kataxu
Album: Hunger Of Elements
Style: Black metal
Release date: 2005


01. In My Dungeon
02. In Arms Of The Astral World
03. Below The Tree Of Life
04. Nightsky
05. The Manifesto Of The Unity
06. The Breath Of Atlantis

Well, the majestic black metal scene doesn't seem being at its best, generally talking, this period, drowning in the stagnant waters of mediocrity. The Emperor has left his thrown, Limbonic Art are lost in the outer space, having left the scene as well, and most of the other bands have the intention that they are playing heavy metal with keyboards, black metal howls and plastic image, having lost the sense of what majestic black metal means.

Kataxu, in this decomposition of the scene, come at the right moment and make these stagnant waters rise with power with their pure majestic black metal with an album overran by dynamism, inspiration and lyricism. "Hunger Of Elements" is the name of the latest release of the Polish Kataxu and they keep on burning the shrouds, being black metal and at the same time creating obscure sound dimensions with the keyboards.

A sense of melancholy is overrunning the album through its whole duration, with the keyboards evoking an intense astral feeling, an apocalyptic atmosphere of sounds, visions and emotions. The mystic feeling of the overall aesthetic of "Hunger Of Elements" complete the stunning and inspired guitar riffs that move in the renowned railway black metal pathways, while the rhythm section lends the ideal groove to the songs with the drumming being either raging or just accompanying, pacing in any tempo. The vocals are extreme and exceptionally expressive, having a desperate sense in the way they sound, adding another part in the puzzle of Kataxu's mystical melancholy, leading to the absolute astral apocalypse.

Compositions like the lengthy, atmospheric and raging hymns "In My Dungeon", "Below The Tree Of Life" and "The Manifesto Of The Unity", with the keyboard melodies overrunning the listener, or the dreamy synth-based instrumental illusions "In Arms Of The Astral World", "Nightsky" and "The Breath Of Atlantis" have been given life to either make you lose yourself in a dreamland or a nightmarish universe with their affected/complex structure and intense atmosphere. "Hunger Of Elements" is a must-have album for the majestic black metal adorers from a band that knows how to play in an unerring way this specific genre.





Written on 30.11.2005 by "It is myself I have never met, whose face is pasted on the underside of my mind."


Comments

Comments: 13   Visited by: 78 users
06.07.2006 - 02:11
Basso
Account deleted
One of my alltime favourite Black metal albums. Just so amazing. Judging on the amount of plays it has I couldnt do other than to rate it a 10. Just brilliant
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07.09.2006 - 23:46
TheSlaughter
Account deleted
I give it a 9.9, why not 10? Because. That is reserved for Arcturus... otherwise, I would say Kataxu is structurally sound, very atmospheric, entracing but not repetitive, well produced, but not over produced.
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02.01.2008 - 19:51
Sunioj

Perfect in every aspect in my opinion.

But regarding this review, he didn't mention why it is less than perfect... Im curious to know actually, but whatever, good description of the album.
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27.04.2011 - 20:35
Insineratehymn
Account deleted
I don't care if people erroneously label Kataxu as an NSBM band, I still love 'em.
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23.07.2011 - 10:36
Marcus
Doit Like Bernie
Written by Guest on 27.04.2011 at 20:35

I don't care if people erroneously label Kataxu as an NSBM band, I still love 'em.

Read the lyrics for Nawia. There's a reason this band is listed on every NSBM site...
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23.07.2011 - 18:50
BreadGod
Account deleted
Written by Marcus on 23.07.2011 at 10:36

Written by Guest on 27.04.2011 at 20:35

I don't care if people erroneously label Kataxu as an NSBM band, I still love 'em.

Read the lyrics for Nawia. There's a reason this band is listed on every NSBM site...

So he uses the word aryan and praises the slavonic gods in one of his songs. Big deal.
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23.07.2011 - 19:51
Marcus
Doit Like Bernie
Written by Guest on 23.07.2011 at 18:50

Written by Marcus on 23.07.2011 at 10:36

Written by Guest on 27.04.2011 at 20:35

I don't care if people erroneously label Kataxu as an NSBM band, I still love 'em.

Read the lyrics for Nawia. There's a reason this band is listed on every NSBM site...

So he uses the word aryan and praises the slavonic gods in one of his songs. Big deal.

To be honest I'm in the same boat as you. Read through all the lyrics and that was all I could find. Just tried to play a bit of devil's advocate
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23.07.2011 - 19:59
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Marcus on 23.07.2011 at 19:51

Written by Guest on 23.07.2011 at 18:50

Written by Marcus on 23.07.2011 at 10:36

Written by Guest on 27.04.2011 at 20:35

I don't care if people erroneously label Kataxu as an NSBM band, I still love 'em.

Read the lyrics for Nawia. There's a reason this band is listed on every NSBM site...

So he uses the word aryan and praises the slavonic gods in one of his songs. Big deal.

To be honest I'm in the same boat as you. Read through all the lyrics and that was all I could find. Just tried to play a bit of devil's advocate


I think the reason they are mentioned on those sites is due to the mainman being a NS but not because of the lyrics/music.
In that sense Kataxu is comparable to Drudkh or Burzum. The bands don't show any of the NSBM tendencies whereas the people behind it are renowned for it.
Als Hunger Of Elements was nominated for an MS Black Metal Award, so be sure that we delved into all the lyrics before admitting the album
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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23.07.2011 - 20:09
Marcus
Doit Like Bernie
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 23.07.2011 at 19:59

Written by Marcus on 23.07.2011 at 19:51

Written by Guest on 23.07.2011 at 18:50

Written by Marcus on 23.07.2011 at 10:36

Written by Guest on 27.04.2011 at 20:35

I don't care if people erroneously label Kataxu as an NSBM band, I still love 'em.

Read the lyrics for Nawia. There's a reason this band is listed on every NSBM site...

So he uses the word aryan and praises the slavonic gods in one of his songs. Big deal.

To be honest I'm in the same boat as you. Read through all the lyrics and that was all I could find. Just tried to play a bit of devil's advocate


I think the reason they are mentioned on those sites is due to the mainman being a NS but not because of the lyrics/music.
In that sense Kataxu is comparable to Drudkh or Burzum. The bands don't show any of the NSBM tendencies whereas the people behind it are renowned for it.
Als Hunger Of Elements was nominated for an MS Black Metal Award, so be sure that we delved into all the lyrics before admitting the album

That makes much more sense, I had a hunch that was actually the reason. And based on how little exposure the band has on here I wasn't sure if any staff had spent much time looking it up. I guess I was wrong.
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12.05.2014 - 23:19
Death_95

Written by Guest on 27.04.2011 at 20:35

I don't care if people erroneously label Kataxu as an NSBM band, I still love 'em.

What's NSBM? I know BM is Black Metal...
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12.05.2014 - 23:19
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by Death_95 on 12.05.2014 at 23:19
What's NSBM? I know BM is Black Metal...

You must be new to metal...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Socialist_black_metal
----
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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12.05.2014 - 23:22
Uldreth

Written by Troy Killjoy on 12.05.2014 at 23:19

Written by Death_95 on 12.05.2014 at 23:19
What's NSBM? I know BM is Black Metal...

You must be new to metal...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Socialist_black_metal

To be fair, his invention of "nordic space black metal" on the album page is pretty awesome .
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12.05.2014 - 23:31
Death_95

Written by Uldreth on 12.05.2014 at 23:22

To be fair, his invention of "nordic space black metal" on the album page is pretty awesome .

Hahaha, that's because I listened to Kataxu for the first time on youtube through a channel called Space Black Metal...
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