ALBUM REVIEW – SCOTLAND’S CATALYSIS HAVE CREATED A SONIC BEAST WITH ‘BETRAYER’

Posted on by Oran


Dundee Groove Metal crew, Catalysis have become somewhat of a cornerstone to contemporary Scottish Metal over the last five or so years, and with their new album ‘Betrayer’ resembling a noticeable focus and maturity, it’s time for the high-ranking industry professionals to sit up and take notice…

Make no bones about it, ‘Betrayer’ is a sonic powder-keg of ferocious and captivating song structures, razor sharp musicianship, powerful vocals gushing with melody, and hard concrete brutality.

So, why is this band not signed, or headlining 500+ cap venues?

That’s the question that comes to mind as album opener, ‘Kingmaker‘ explodes into the ether. From their formation back in 2016 to present day, there is a total of four EP’s and two studio album’s (including ‘Betrayer‘), and as mentioned in the opening statement of this review, this batch of songs is a huge step forward with regards to perfecting their sturdy blend of Groove, Thrash and Death, which pour into the atmosphere like rich golden honey.

With four singles plucked from this strong-rooted body of work, (‘Gone‘, ‘Mea Culpa‘ ‘Gallows‘, and the already mentioned, ‘Kingmaker‘), the remaining tracks are just as immediate, captivating and beautifully designed to cause sweat-drenched mayhem in any pit that lays before the five-piece.

Endless‘ (which captures the fragrance of In Flames at times), to ‘Bottom of the World‘ to the aggressive punchy-power of ‘Panopticon‘, bring out the versatility of Catalysis’s arsenal, which doubles-down on their strength in songwriting, not to mention their ability to poke your instincts to start throwing shapes and windmilling like a lunatic.

Great stuff indeed!

The second half of the album doesn’t take its foot off the gas as monolithic bangers, such as singles, ‘Mea Culpa‘ and ‘Gallows‘ instigate an aural pounding. And just when you think there couldn’t be any more fuel in the tank, a triple offensive of dark and dirty bangers in the form of ‘Overlord‘, ‘Never Unseen‘ and the albums fantastic culmination, ‘Another Version of the Truth‘ concludes the journey of ‘Betrayer

This album is a sensational step-up from Catalysis and a statement of how much quality exists among the vast amount of unsigned, independent bands that exist all around us.

Do yourself a favour and crack open a cold one, kick back and let ‘Betrayer‘ pummel your daily woes into submission.

For more information on Catalysis, please visit this link.

For fans of Machine Head, Chimera, In Flames, Mudvayne, DevilDriver, etc….

Oran O’Beirne

www.overdrive.ie 2023