Charming, sophisticated and irresistible – review of “XII: A gyönyörü álmok ezután jönnek” by Thy Catafalque

2024 is a leap year, and you might know (or not) that there is a saying that goes something like “Leap year was ne’er a good sheep year“, which is to say that leap years are dark, gloomy and sad. It has been a challenging year, but we’ve also been blessed with many spectacular albums that mostly make up for this “menacing year”. One of them is, without a doubt, “XII: A gyönyörü álmok ezután jönnek” by Thy Catafalque, to be released in November by Season of Mist.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Season of Mist is making all the good moves and has so many talented people on its roster. Thy Catafalque, in the person of Tamás Kátai, has prepared a remarkable record for us to listen to and enjoy. He’s not afraid to use the Hungarian language to his advantage, balancing the softer tracks (“Lydiához“) with the heavier ones (“Mindenevő“), maintaining a high standard in songwriting, composition and structure of the songs.

Kátai uses an almost cinematic approach to creating the essence of his art, delving deep into various influences that enhance and elevate the final result of the album. From oriental to death metal, from classical to folk and blues, his bag of tricks is never empty. And like a rightful master, he knows exactly where to put everything without causing chaos (pun not intended!).

The album’s exquisite mixing, production and mastering deliver the music in a way that allows you to enjoy all the details that Tamás’s music has to offer. The contrast and the duets with female and male counterparts work brilliantly, like “Világnak világa” and “Ködkirály“. Another aspect that is also incredibly executed is the equilibrium between clean and harsh vocals, providing delicacy and care at times and releasing the beast within in others.

The more you listen to this album, the more you fall in love with it with its continuous change of pace, immersive atmospheres and alluring vocals. It is very difficult to press “pause” because you would want to know what comes next, what will you discover along the 52 minutes of playing time. Very notable also the bonus track “Babylon“, that in my opinion would have fitted extremely well in the record!

So look out for November 15th, when this masterpiece will be released and available for everyone to hear. Thy Catafalque has once again proven that they are masters in what they do, and hopefully, for us, they don’t have any intention of stopping this fantastic art we call music. “XII: A gyönyörü álmok ezután jönnek” is one of the best albums of this leap year, making it an incredible addition for every heavy metal lover.

Tracklist:

1. Piros kocsi, fekete éj
2. Mindenevö
3. Vasgyár
4. Világnak világa
5. Nyárfa, nyírfa
6. Lydiához
7. Vakond
8. Ködkiraly
9. Aláhullás
10. A gyönyörü álmok ezután jönnek