Tamás Kátai, the mastermind behind avant-garde metal act Thy Catafalque, has done it again. Alfӧld is his eleventh full-length under the Thy Catafalque banner and the follow up to 2021’s Vadak. Alfӧld to me is a bit more dial backed then some of the other Thy Catafalque albums but it still has the signature Thy Catafalque sound to it. The first two tracks of the album lend a more death metal sound to them, particularly album opener A scend hegyei, which is vocally handled by Lambert Lédeczy of the Hungarian band Ahriman. Lambert features on a few other tracks on this album and as with most Thy Catafalque releases, there are a plethora of talented musicians that feature on Alfӧld. A fӧlddel egyenlő keeps the aggressive nature of the first two tracks with its breakneck opening that had me headbanging each time it came on before launching into a super proggy bass solo for a moment before going into a groovy black n roll vibe where we see some horn samples about half way into the track. For me the guitar solo that starts in around the 3-minute mark and then comes back around the 4:30 mark is the biggest highlight in the track. Absolutely ripping and helps tie the track all together. The title track, being the longest track of the album (no other track goes past five and a half minutes), brings back Mr. Lédeczy on vocals and absolutely pulverizes the listener. The drums pound away while the guitars lean into a super dissonant sound, adding to the already brooding atmosphere that has enveloped the album to this point. The track does eventually calm in the second half with an acoustic guitar playing while guest vocalist Martina Horváth of The Answer Lies in the Black Void lends her soft voice over the guitar. Folyondár is a nice break from the heaviness that has been bestowed upon us. Even though it is an instrumental track, it is in no way a filler track. It features a really killer flute solo early on done by Dario of Curta’n Wall and some great violin work as well near the end of the track. The tracks Csillagot gӧrgető and A felkelő hold orszaga have a more black metal sound then the first half tracks. Csillagot gӧrgető has an atmospheric black metal vibe with the soaring, melodic tremolo riffs and reverb laden vocals that seem to be calling out from the void, enticing the listener to join them out in the cold, icy atmosphere. A felkelő hold orszaga leans more blackened death with down tuned guitars and plodding drums. This track is what gave me the initial thought of how the music really felt dialed back a bit. It feels like this album was meant to be played live. The music is still complex but it is more straightforward in its approach and much more digestible. If some of the previous works of Thy Catafalque where played live, someone new to the band may not be able to get into it versus these new tracks. Just my thought on it. After a quick instrumental track, the final track, which happened to be the first single, is ready to cap off this fantastic offering. Néma vermek is what sold me on downloading this promo and going out immediately and pre-ordering the CD. Right off the bat we get some synths and I am an absolute sucker for synths. The synths continue throughout the track as well but when they come in immediately, I am usually hooked. The last minute is what had me nearly moshing in my living room. Kátai launches into a synth solo with some creepy, eerie vocals accompying it before dropping the track into chaos with a killer combo of blast beats and oozy riffs that drips out the speakers. I was in utter awe each time I listened to it, rewinding it back to the beginning of the synth part multiple times. A perfect way to end this stellar album. This album has not left my rotation since getting the promo and I am sure that it will stay in heavy rotation once the physical drops in my mailbox at home. I have a feeling you will be seeing this album in my year end list, most likely near the top, if not in the top spot. It is that damn good!
-The Metal Architect
