It is a common trend in metal for bands to release an amazing album followed by an album that isn’t as good as their previous efforts but still pretty decent; most of the time bands tend to fall from grace and release really pathetic albums such as In Flames. Canada’s Kataklysm are one of the few exceptions to that trend, as not only do they match the intense and almost perfect “In the Arms of Devastation” from 2006; they build on the few flaws that album had to serve metal fans with “Prevail”.

It would be a little hasty to call “Prevail” the band’s best album, but it’s hard to think otherwise. Every single aspect of their music comes across in the most extreme and purest form ever. The production on the album is top notch and the band’s songwriting has reached a level far beyond many bands in the extreme metal world. With all the elements of death metal executed perfectly, the band doesn’t waste any time in showing their skills. Lacerating guitar riffs, accompanied by blasting drums, crunching bass lines and Maurizio Iacono’s vocals which are at their venom spitting best. The album is filled with hooks, which are found at every single corner. Whether it’s a guitar riff, a chorus, or the overall feel of the song, this is an album that will surely have fans raising the horns and banging their heads for a long time.

Things start as usual with an audio sample from a movie in true Kataklysm fashion, a good sign that the band is nowhere near of changing their style. After the sample plays the band unleashes all of their fury on the title track, an instant metal classic that displays intensity, hookiness and excellent performances by all four band members. The band pummels and demands your attention with one metal’s best opening songs ever. After the adrenaline rush of “Prevail”, Kataklysm places the listener on a sonic-chokehold and there’s no letting go. Personally, I dare anyone who listens to this album not to feel their blood pulsing and reaching a boiling point, as metal doesn’t get any better than this.

The album follows a string of excellent cuts such as the first single “Taking the World By Storm” (true indeed), the manic riff-fest of “The Chains of Power”, the melancholic riffing on the chorus of “As Death Lingers” and the march of “Blood in Heaven” that starts and stops, as to give the listener a small lapse of time to gasp for air, only to abuse the listener with chunky riffs, face melting guitar solos and Max Duhamel’s hammering in the background. Every other song in the album is a highlight, there are no fillers on this album, each song has a distinct element or face that set them apart, creating an overall sound that is hard to imagine being any better than this.

Kataklysm has delivered an album that makes their 2006 breakthrough “In Arms of Devastation” seem naïve. “Prevail” is an improvement on every single aspect of the band’s music and have given metal fans a reason to keep their hopes up and realize that there will always be a band ready to take the flag of metal a carry it with no remorse.