Katharsis ‎– Fourth Reich LP

KATHARSIS – Fourth Reich (LP) German black metal at its most uncompromising. Fourth Reich, released in 2009 via the legendary Norma Evangelium Diaboli, marks the final chapter of one of the most singular and feared acts in the underground. Formed in 1994, Katharsis — featuring Aeshma on drums, Scorn on bass and guitars, and Drakh on vocals — never played live, letting their recordings speak with absolute, undiluted conviction. Cavernous, delay-drenched, raw and pounding — Fourth Reich delivers the band's signature sound while loosening some of the trademark claustrophobia to give the instruments more room to breathe, allowing for greater variation without sacrificing an ounce of unrelenting primitivism. Five tracks, 45 minutes of music — more atmospheric than anything before, yet unmistakably Katharsis. Highlights include female vocals on "So Nail the Hearts," a deeply felt guitar solo on "Sinn Koronation" courtesy of D. of Orlog, and a towering choir outro that brings the album to a close with rare and crushing finality.