Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
The English Oxford dictionary has this definition of “genius”: innate intellectual or creative power of an exceptional or exalted type, such as is attributed to those people considered greatest in any area of art, science, etc. To me, that’s Tamás Kátai, the mastermind of Thy Catafalque. The Hungarian maestro is about to release a new album “XIII: Sárga erdő”, so let’s discover what he has prepared for us this time…
Someone who’s able to incorporate in their music oriental melodies (“Búcsú a piros madártól“, “Szitakötő“), typical Hungarian instruments (“Cseremisz“), blues (“Dunnák alatt kék mező“) and purest metal (“Puszta“) has to be the most extraordinary ever. And that’s exactly what Thy Catafalque is. I keep on thinking that with each album there is nothing that can surprise me anymore, and I’m so glad that Tamás proves me wrong every single time.
The albums by this band are always so heterogeneous: that’s just one of the interesting aspects about them! “XIII: Sárga erdő” is no different, because it will seem like a story unfolding in front of you as the listening experience goes on. Which is so smooth, because the quality that Thy Catafalque has for production, mixing and mastering is simply stellar.
Each song is wonderfully crafted and layered, leaving nothing to chance. But then again, that’s the work of a genius, if you ask me. I want to pick a favorite, and that’s the title track “Sárga erdő“. A 10-minute suite that captures every single side of the band, from the softest sounds to the heaviest possible.
It might be suspicious that I always give the highest marks to Thy Catafalque‘s album, but I’m quite sure that anybody who understands a little bit of music would do the same. So, when November 20th comes, my strongest recommendation is that “XIII: Sárga erdő” gets added to every playlist. Because if “XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek” was a masterpiece, this is exactly the same, if not more.
Tracklist:
