They say that there's an exception to every rule, so if the rule is that the whole Metalcore/Deathcore/Hardcore/Whatevercore trend is not only stale, but uninspired and possessing of no inherently sustainable appeal, then Zürich, Switzerland's CATARACT is the exception, and a monstrous one at that. Somehow they manage to fleet footedly side step any and all of the numerous sinkholes and sand traps that is the downfall of nearly every band in this over diluted genre and deftly compile positive aspects such as incising guitar riffs, foot stomping stop/start tempos and particularly pissed off vocals, resulting in the surprisingly menacing and consistently solid "Kingdom".

The album's intro, "Kingdom's Rise", immediately sets a standard of energized, full on Metal aggression with its war march tempo and crunching groove riff, and with its slick shotgun cocking transition into "War Of Cultures" the listener is already made aware of the fact that this album is precisely what countless peers of the genre have been trying ever so unsuccessfully to harness. The formula is consistent yet satisfyingly lacking in sheer redundancy so that any given song is a bonafide adrenaline rush waiting to happen, laced with vicious guitar hooks and tempo defining drum deliveries more than capable of whipping listeners into a high blood pressure, kick the cat and swing from the chandelier in a loin cloth "Me Tarzan, You Jane" type frenzy at every turn.

Vocalist Fedi wields an exceptionally gritty and throat shredding intensity that really pushes the sound envelope, enveloping and exciting the already intense music to a state of a highly unstable explosive, primed to detonate and decimate without warning. And with Fedi's unhindered aggression coupled with guitarists Simon and Greg's uncanny assembly line knack for cranking out 10 ton concrete riffs with unfaltering consistency, "Kingdom" juggernauts itself to the top of this particular heap by the sheer brute force of their volatility and commitment to catchy hooks and undiluted aggression. CATARACT are assuredly the band to beat in this particular niche of Metal, and so called legends like HATEBREED would do well to take heed as well as take notes, because "Kingdom" is a pinnacle of accomplishment for its genre. Switzerland may pride themselves on neutrality, but CATARACT have declared their own personal war on the substandard Core genre with a blatant "bring it on" challenge to any and all who would dare to step it up and compete anywhere even remotely close to the level at which this band operates. The CATARACT "Kingdom" has risen.