⛧
666 (1986)
Despite not being as prolific as some of their peers, Kat is one of the best known bands from Poland. Admittedly, this was a difficult band to get into at first. One way or another, I was initially told that they were similar to Venom, Sodom and Bathory so I came into it expecting '80s black metal and what I got was nowhere near as harsh as I was led to believe.
The band's first album, 666, was released in 1986 but feels more like something from '83 or so. The production adds to this vibe, not being nearly as heavy as the albums that followed. There is a more organic quality to the sound which really suits the material. Musically, this is a mixture of early thrash, speed and traditional heavy metal. One can even hear traces of the NWOBHM sound. The galloping riffs have a pure early '80s feel. There are moments that hint at what the band would go on to do, such as during "Metal i piekło" and "666", but the overall feeling is more relaxed in a sense. At times this sounds similar to the debut album from Wilczy Pająk as well as Turbo's Kawaleria Szatana, but the atmosphere here is darker.
One aspect of the record that made this the most difficult for me was definitely the vocals. Roman Kostrzewski's voice is rather awful and he sounds like a little goblin. It only gets worse during the times when he tries to be more melodic. He kind of reminds me of Dave Mustaine or Paul Baloff, in a way. I almost totally wrote the band off but the track "Masz mnie wampirze" grew on me, from the memorable riffs to the vocals which somehow possessed a charm. After some time, I came back to the rest of the album and eventually the whole thing just clicked.
Tragic singing or not, 666 is a really good L.P. They also released a version in English, like several of the Eastern Bloc bands were doing (most notably Hämmer and Turbo), but there's zero chance that such a thing would sound anything less than inferior so I never bothered with it. I'd much rather hear them sing in their native language if I have a choice, as it's guaranteed to be more comfortable and natural for them and who needs to hear them trying to adapt to appeal to a wider audience? Not me. This is a great album that really encapsulates the spirit of early-to-mid '80s metal.
One aspect of the record that made this the most difficult for me was definitely the vocals. Roman Kostrzewski's voice is rather awful and he sounds like a little goblin. It only gets worse during the times when he tries to be more melodic. He kind of reminds me of Dave Mustaine or Paul Baloff, in a way. I almost totally wrote the band off but the track "Masz mnie wampirze" grew on me, from the memorable riffs to the vocals which somehow possessed a charm. After some time, I came back to the rest of the album and eventually the whole thing just clicked.
Tragic singing or not, 666 is a really good L.P. They also released a version in English, like several of the Eastern Bloc bands were doing (most notably Hämmer and Turbo), but there's zero chance that such a thing would sound anything less than inferior so I never bothered with it. I'd much rather hear them sing in their native language if I have a choice, as it's guaranteed to be more comfortable and natural for them and who needs to hear them trying to adapt to appeal to a wider audience? Not me. This is a great album that really encapsulates the spirit of early-to-mid '80s metal.
(25 Apr. 2025)
Oddech wymarłych światów (1988)
Kat's second full-length album, Oddech wymarłych światów, was released in May 1988. Their style shifted to more of a pure thrash metal approach this time around. The music is faster and heavier while the playing is a little tighter. There are even moments such as on "Diabelski dom - cz.II" where the sound is reminiscent of black metal, with the blast beats, tremolo riffs and harsher vocals. This is constrasted by softer parts such as the ending of "Śpisz jak kamień" which sees things slow down as Roman tries to sing in a more emotional way. The same goes for "Głos z ciemności", as if they listened to "Fade to Black" and "Armed and Dangerous" too many times and were influenced to mix in these softer parts. Again, this was something that had to grow on me.
The production sounds kind of sterile this time around, losing some of the charm that 666 possessed. The drumming in particular is too high in the mix and the double bass really sounds like a drum machine was used. Aside from these complaints, Kat's sophomore record is filled with great thrash metal. There are a ton of memorable riffs and killer solos throughout the album, and even somewhat epic moments in songs like "Porwany obłędem" and "Bramy żądzhere". This is definitely one of the better thrash albums to come from the Eastern Bloc and is just as good or superior to many of the albums from the West. Highly recommended!
The production sounds kind of sterile this time around, losing some of the charm that 666 possessed. The drumming in particular is too high in the mix and the double bass really sounds like a drum machine was used. Aside from these complaints, Kat's sophomore record is filled with great thrash metal. There are a ton of memorable riffs and killer solos throughout the album, and even somewhat epic moments in songs like "Porwany obłędem" and "Bramy żądzhere". This is definitely one of the better thrash albums to come from the Eastern Bloc and is just as good or superior to many of the albums from the West. Highly recommended!
(25 Apr. 2025)
Bastard (1992)
For one reason or another, Kat took quite a long time to record their third album. Rather than the usual one or two year gap, four years passed before the release of 1992's Bastard. As seems to always be the case for me when it comes to this band, it took a little time for me to warm up to this one. The clear, loud '90s production just doesn't seem the best for thrash metal in my opinion. It is quite reminiscent of The Black Album, especially with the pounding drums that are so high in the mix. The more claustrophobic feel of Oddech wymarłych światów is amplified, with the rough charm of 666 a distant memory. With that whining out of the way, it can be said that this is the last really good album from Kat.
Bastard continues the pure thrash metal style that was present on the previous record, but in a different way. There is a massive and undeniable influence from Testament all over this album. They must have spent the previous years constantly listening to The Legacy and Souls of Black. Around this time, a lot of bands seemed to be following in the footsteps of the more popular acts like Testament and Sepultura. Unlike their northern neighbors, Mezzrow, Kat didn't end up sounding like a clone and still retained their own identity despite the obvious influence. The songwriting is even more solid than before and it's clear that these guys were progressing as musicians. There are quite a lot of intense and memorable riffs throughout the record with tracks like "W bezkształtnej bryle uwięziony" and "W sadzie śmiertelnego piękna" standing out from the rest, a bit. The execution of the material is very well done. Even when they slow things down on the final track, "Łza dla cieniów minionych" (another one that took time to grow on me), they do it so well that it just works. At a time when so many thrash bands had already gone to hell, Kat did Pierogiland proud one last time. Bastard is a solid album and certainly worth hearing.
Bastard continues the pure thrash metal style that was present on the previous record, but in a different way. There is a massive and undeniable influence from Testament all over this album. They must have spent the previous years constantly listening to The Legacy and Souls of Black. Around this time, a lot of bands seemed to be following in the footsteps of the more popular acts like Testament and Sepultura. Unlike their northern neighbors, Mezzrow, Kat didn't end up sounding like a clone and still retained their own identity despite the obvious influence. The songwriting is even more solid than before and it's clear that these guys were progressing as musicians. There are quite a lot of intense and memorable riffs throughout the record with tracks like "W bezkształtnej bryle uwięziony" and "W sadzie śmiertelnego piękna" standing out from the rest, a bit. The execution of the material is very well done. Even when they slow things down on the final track, "Łza dla cieniów minionych" (another one that took time to grow on me), they do it so well that it just works. At a time when so many thrash bands had already gone to hell, Kat did Pierogiland proud one last time. Bastard is a solid album and certainly worth hearing.
(25 Apr. 2025)
Last Updated: You are Visitor #: