Awakening

Looking for a decent, unheralded melodic death metal record? You have come to the right place. Catafalque (from Flanders, Belgium) were a short-lived band that made one EP in the late nineties. If I remember right, these guys were the first (perhaps only?) true metal band signed to Good Life Recordings. This label was better known for releasing European hardcore and metalcore. Sure, most of the label’s metalcore bands sounded more metal than hardcore (e.g., Deformity and Liar), but all of them had some historical affiliation with hardcore. Catafalque were the exception. These guys were just a Flanders metal band with no connection to the hardcore scene (other than the fact that a member was once in a grindcore band with UxJx from Congress).

This might explain why "Awakening" never received any recognition. Few people in the metal scene bought records from Good Life, and few hardcore kids were interested in Catafalque's technical, melodic style of death metal (this was 1997, not 2003). This is a shame, because this EP has plenty to recommend it. This is the good kind of melodic death metal, not the saccharine variety of In Flames or Dark Tranquillity. Catafalque played the thrashier, more contorted style that has more in common with Coroner than Iron Maiden. Comparisons could be made with other Swedish bands like Eucharist, Desultory and At the Gates (i.e., "With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness"-era). The four songs here are lengthy mini-epics with plenty of depth, and they reveal something new on each listen.

What I like about this record is how naive and under-cooked it sounds. There are moments where the musicians are composing and playing beyond their level of competence. The raw production highlights the band’s flaws. But I like these flaws. For example, listen to the sweep picking at the beginning of "Lost in Society". It sounds like someone working through a guitar exercise book, then throwing the book away and deciding to write a song based on their progress. I like how the band makes complex, melodic death metal without being expert musicians. The bare-bones production leaves nowhere to hide, and the band’s riffing and song-writing both stand up to scrutiny. Catafalque sounds like your friend's super-talented death metal band who never found an audience beyond your hometown.

“Awakening” dropped into a vacuum when it was released. I remember it coming out, but I ignored it, and I was the exact target demographic (i.e., a death metal kid who bought records from Good Life). This was not a big seller. I would be surprised if anyone bought it. What I am pleased to report is how fresh it sounds today. This is a record for people who like the non-cheesy style of old school melodic death metal. Anyone who digs (more recent) bands like Mi'gauss and Draghkar should jump the queue. It begs the question of what might have happened to Catafalque if they had stayed together. These guys could have made something special. This EP deserves more attention than it will ever get.