KATARI - Ave, Rex Ivdaeorvm! (FROM DEEPEST Records CD 2018)
Peru is not really a country, where someone would look for quality black metal. But it doesn't mean it doesn't exist there. I know Katari from their "At Peace" EP, a cassette, which I got few years ago and really enjoyed. Now this two-men project is back with their debut full length "Ave, Rex Ivdaeorvm!" (released by From Deepest Records) and again I have to say that it's just great piece of obscure black metal, which caught my attention from the very first till their very last song. It obviously is not an album, which will receive a great success and which offers the most spectacular piece of black metal. Nope! But it just sounds very, very solid and exactly within the old school black metal standards, which the die-hard maniacs worship.
When I listen to Katari and "Ave, Rex Ivdaeorvm!", yet again I get this feeling that this album should have been released 25 years ago. It perfectly reflects that cold, grim and hateful feeling of obscure black metal from the early 90's. Production wise it's better, it doesn’t sound like recorded in a fuckin bunker. The sound is clean, but harsh and vicious at the same time, what fits this music perfectly and still gives you similar vibe to the old releases. And stylistically I think that Katari could be compared to whole bunch of different bands: from early Samael, Holy Death, through Darkthrone, Gorgoroth and Burzum and ending this with newer bands like Urgehal. I like that Katari doesn't limit themselves to only one classic style with one sort of simplistic riff and rhythm, but there's whole bunch of different stuff, with diverse tempos, etc. I suppose that fast pace is the most often present here ("Impaled on a Phallic Cross", etc), but slower stuff is here also and in songs like "Fucked by Serpents" it just works great. Even instrumental track "Pure Hate" sounds very good, as kind of slow paced introduction to more vicious and aggressive "Extermination" (which is very much in the classic Norwegian black metal vein). The music always sounds very straight forward and harsh, the riffs are pretty simplistic and barbarian, yet a lot of them are quite memorable. So, it's great old school black metal to listen to. It's even better that Katari are from Peru, it makes their music more exotic but worthy also, when compared to yet another European or US occult fancy black metal type of band. So, if you dig the deepest pits of underground but have not yet had a chance to hear Katari, I strongly recommend "Ave, Rex Ivdaeorvm!".
Standout tracks: "Impaled on a Phallic Cross", "Extermination", "Mutilated and Inverted"
Verdict: 75/100
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