Compilation albums are often the best introduction to a band, and Catamenia's 'The Rewritten Chapters' is no exception. As a band, Catamenia are known for their relentless energy and excellent guitar riffs. This compilation showcases all of that.
Indeed, the title of the compilation itself is suggestive of the music - rather than just taking the old recordings of the songs and throwing them all together, Catamenia has respectfully taken it a step further and re-recorded all fourteen songs (plus an additional cover) for this album. Some of the songs are very similar to their original versions, whilst others have been changed to fit the natural evolution of the songs that has likely come over the years, perhaps adding that little something that will convince long-serving fans who already own all the albums to still buy this compilation.
As a band, Catamenia are known for their relentless energy and excellent guitar riffs. This compilation showcases all of that.
The track listing has been, for the most part, well chosen, presenting a fine collection of songs showing a great band at their best. The compilation includes some straight, all-out heavy noiseblasts ('Morning Crimson', 'The Passing Moment of Twilight Time'), some classic 'Blackened Power Metal' tunes ('Blackmension', 'Kuolon Tanssi'), and a few brilliant ballads ('Coldbound', 'The Day When The Sun Faded Away'). To top it all off, the album ends with a great cover of Bon Jovi's 'Born To Be My Baby', which is much better than the original (partly because Bon Jovi isn't in this one).
That's not to say the compilation is perfect. There are a couple of mis-steps here. Firstly, the re-recorded version of Cavalcade feels very bland in comparison to the original, and the band didn't really need to alter the re-recorded version so much. Secondly, two later songs on the album, 'Lost In Bitterness' and 'Primea Yo' are quite messy affairs, and disappointing in comparison with the rest of the songs, with the former track dragging on to a rather unnecessary running time of 5:30 or so.
Even so, this is a very good compilation album overall. If you've only recently discovered Catamenia and are looking to buy your first Catamenia CD, then look no further, as this provides the perfect introduction to a great band. If you're a long time Catamenia fan, then this compilation's revamped songs may just be enough to convince you to purchase.
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