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It's been a while since I've talked about Cataleptic. I remember reviewing their debut album Strength Within a decade ago for Voices from the Darkside and loving it, but I missed their last album Forward 6, so this is the latest I have heard from them in a very long time. Thankfully, this album proves they haven't lost their touch over the years.

The Tragedy is an album that displays more of the band's moody, traditionally inspired Doom/Death that borrows from classic acts like My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, and Katatonia. In fact, this album sounds a lot like it could have been made by My Dying Bride in their early days, only Cataleptic break things up with more rocking sections that border on Black Metal and massive choirs not unlike what you'd hear from a Moonsorrow release, which gives this an epic and powerful sound it otherwise wouldn't have. You still get more traditional songs like the moody "Loss", but they really shine with tracks like "Disarmed. Disowned. Betrayed" and especially "To Burn This World (Omega Campaign)" which aim for a grander scale and stick the landing perfectly, with the latter track being almost Funeral Doom in tempo and easily the most epic song I've heard from them. The performances are more than good enough to back these ambitions, but it's the vocals of guitarist Sami Iivonen that really steal the spotlight, as they're some of the best death grunts I have heard in a Doom/Death release in quite some time.

Overall, Cataleptic have stepped up their game since I last heard from them and made a satisfyingly varied and moody album because of it. I'm glad these guys are still around and making music this strong, and you should be too.