KATAKLYSM — The Mystical Gate of Reincarnation (review)

KATAKLYSM — The Mystical Gate of Reincarnation album cover EP · 1993 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"The Mystical Gate of Reincarnation" is an EP release by Canadian, Quebec based death metal act Kataklysm. The EP was released through Nuclear Blast Records in November 1993. It´s the band´s first label release following the release of the 1992 "The Death Gate Cycle of Reincarnation" demo and the 1993 "The Vortex of Resurrection" demo. It´s not a release featuring new material by Kataklysm though, but rather a re-release of the 3 tracks from the "The Death Gate Cycle of Reincarnation" (1992) demo plus the extra track "The Orb of Uncreation".

With the opening track "Frozen in Time (Chapter I -Will of Suicide-)", Kataklysm waste no time with explanations but attack the listener with about 1 minute of intense blasting and brutal growling vocals. The track soon becomes a lot more varied though and upon conclusion it´s an almost progressive structured track (or maybe random or unconventionally structured is a more fitting description), featuring many different sections, stylistic elements, and vocal styles (both aggressive growling, deeper brutal growling, and snarling high pitched screaming vocals). "Frozen in Time (Chapter I -Will of Suicide-)" also features great rhythmic variation, and it´s hard not to be impressed by the high quality of the track considering that it´s the opening track of the band´s first demo (which is where it was originally featured). "Mystical Plane of Evil (Chapter II -Enigma of the Unknown-)" and "Shrine of Life (Chapter III -Reborn Through Death-)", which are the other two tracks on which were originally featured on the "The Death Gate Cycle of Reincarnation" (1992) demo, are also brutal and technically well played death metal with some very expressive and varied growling vocals (and in the case of the former something as unconventional as a bass solo). "The Orb of Uncreation" is in a similar style and "The Mystical Gate of Reincarnation" is a coherrent release.

"The Mystical Gate of Reincarnation" feautures a well sounding production job, and it´s audible that the material was recorded at a professional recording studio and not on a 4/8 track recorder in a rehearsal room, like many other death metal demos from that time were. I´ve listened to quite a few death metal demos and even studio albums from that time, which didn´t feature a sound production of this quality and upon conclusion the original material from "The Death Gate Cycle of Reincarnation" (1992), which are now re-released on "The Mystical Gate of Reincarnation" are more than just promising demo material. It´s well rehearsed, well played (those drums...damn), and well written compositions packed in a professional sounding production (for that time) and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is fully deserved.
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