Sentynel and Twelve unwrap their Top Ten(ish) of 2021 and these lists require careful study. There will be a test.
Thy Catafalque
The Answer Lies in the Black Void – Forlorn Review
“Who doesn’t love international cooperation? Well, I suppose we’re bound to have a few hardcore nationalists in our readership who don’t, but in our increasingly connected world, getting cozy with the neighbors can go a long way. The same goes for metal; people from all over the globe, or even just the continent, working together can result in some magical things. Case in point: newly erected international project The Answer Lies in the Black Void, which is quite a mouthful as band names go. The duo consists of Hungarian citizen Martina Horváth (Thy Catafalque) and Dutch breakcore specialist Jurgen Köhnen (Servants of the Apocalyptic Goat Rave).” Fellow metal travelers.
Thy Catafalque – Vadak Review
“Few musicians have as long and varied a career as Tamás Kátai of Thy Catafalque. The one-man outfit may have attracted an entourage of impactful guests over the years, but the end product was always, is always him. The throughlines of his writing and personal touch continue to persist even now, a decade since he struck out on his own. However, his most recent outings, Geometria and Naiv, lacked that certain je ne sais qoui essential to his kaleidoscopic sound. Vadak marks Thy Catafalque‘s fifth entry in seven years, a common cause of too much lack and not enough luster. Of course, just as I was ready to pass on Vadak with the same half-shrug as 2020’s Naiv, Kátai starts dropping bombs.” Thy bomber.
Thy Catafalque – Geometria Review
“I can’t speak for everyone, but this year hasn’t exactly crushed it for me. I don’t know what it is. A case of the heard-it-all-befores? The inescapable drain of attempting to keep up with everything but feeling like you’re keeping up with nothing? Whatever it is, I circled Thy Catafalque‘s Geometria early, hoping it would wrench me from my malaise. With Tamás Kátai, you’re never getting the same thing twice.” Malaise forever.
Eva Can’t – Gravatum Review
“Despite ostensibly belonging to a melodic death circuit that favors homogeneity, Eva Can’t consistently blow my expectations to smithereens. Precursors Inabisso and Hinthial wowed me with their ability to incorporate melodic fervor and technical precision into a range of influences spanning metalcore – Wait! Don’t go! – to classical music. But as the years have gone by, the Italians have departed from a truly consistent sound, resulting in music that is amorphous and difficult to pin down.” Can’t or won’t?
Lòdz – Time Doesn’t Heal Anything Review
“Upon being handed the Lòdz torch, Grymm advised me to approach the Frenchmen from an emotional standpoint. Post-metal’s enjoyment is often predicated on embracing the primal, rather than the technical. Someone like myself who struggles to connect with the genre’s hardscrabble nature might fail to embrace the passion hidden within. For Time Doesn’t Heal Anything to resonate in my heart, Lòdz would have unlock my emotional chastity.” Only AMG can unlock those goddamn belts!
Record(s) o’ the Month – September 2016
“They say it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. AMG Industries and Unihorn Distribution Inc., have wholeheartedly adopted this adage, especially when it comes to the Record(s) o’ the Month. In other words; you may get them late, but at least you get them, so pipe down about it! Now that we have the proper mindset established, we can proceed productively.” Yadda-yadda-yadda, here it is!
Thy Catafalque – Meta Review
“Imagine your basic symphonic black metal, say, Emperor. One day, Ihsahn’s on a big electronica kick, so he throws some cash at the latest Toontrack update, digs out his high school band instruments, and rolls all his artsy friends over for a weekend. No blasting, no razor thin production, just a full plate of programmed drums and defied expectations. This is the sound of Tamás Kátai’s Thy Catafalque.” And what a sound!
