Katharsis

VVorldVVithoutEnd

AJNA/Norma Evangelium Diaboli 2006

I have never been the biggest fan of Katharsis though I really respect them and see their attitude as one of provoking the true image of the word "cult."  VVolrdVVithoutEnd is kind of deceptive to my ears.  It really gives the impression of being much more complicated and strange than it really is.  It begins with the blasting and in your face assault of Eden Belovv.  The songs on this album are unrelenting.  Even the slower sections are still a nonstop artillery barrage on my ears.  As the songs alternate between their varying tempos and riffs I keep conjuring this image in my head of a tempest of swirling Chaos.  That is best way to describe VVorldVVithoutEnd in terms of images.  My favorite song is VVytchdance with its slower rhythms and mind numbing and hypnotic riffs.  The title track opens with some riff passages that recall some of the misanthropic plodding on Darkthrone's Under a Funeral Moon.  Sometimes the music is overpowered by the echoing satanic invocations of Drahk but this is not too much of a complaint as the quality of the music still manages to shine through.  This is easily the best album that Katharsis has done.  You can tell that Katharsis spent much more time concentrating on songwriting this time around as VVorldVVithoutEnd is much more memorable and interesting than its predecessor Kruzifixxion.  I still can't figure it out though why this almost gives the impression of being as off the wall as Deathspell Omega and Ondskapt and so on without actually being anything even remotely that adventurous.  I guess it just has a quality of mystery and mysticism to it that can't be explained.  And maybe an explanation shouldn't even be attempted.  I am content to just sit in the darkness and wander in the dark landscapes created by the blackened minds of Katharsis.  Follow instructions and "Listen to in Darkness at Maximum volume!"