KATANGA - Moonchild

\r\nThere’s a quote that goes “looks can be deceiving”, and I am sure that concerning the German goths Katanga is more than suitable! Looking at the fantastic cover artwork with the crow and the violinist under the full moon and misled by the title “Moonchild” I subconsciously thought of Fields Of The Nephilim but it seems that my first impression was slightly amiss.
\r\nWith their second full length (they have already released their debut “Darkchild” in 2007) Katanga are taking us to dark, but not at all dull, places. As controversial as it might sound since we’re talking about a Gothic Metal band, Katanga are far from the bittersweet gloomy melodies that most of the bands of the genre tend to reproduce. In “Moonchild” having as core ingredient the various electro elements are giving a more “joyful” atmosphere to the songs, something that used to be a trademark for the bands of the past serving the specific genre. The compositions, most of them, are up tempo and personally I found them very intriguing, especially “Moonchild”, “Moerder Der Erinnerung” and last but not least the exceptional “Lemuria” with the heavy guitars grinding on a slightly industrial feeling. The vocals are equally shared in female and baritone (and sometimes growling) male while the production is striking as well. What makes Katanga stand out is the songs themselves,  you can listen to the entire album without being bored and that’s because each one has its own character. The only “flaw”, if I might say so, is the extensive use of the German language something that limits the band’s expansion beyond the borders of their country.
\r\nSo, if you have an exquisite taste for bands like Clan Of Xymox and Dreadful Shadows in a more heavy approach, especially on the guitars, check out Katanga! You won’t be disappointed, that’s for sure!\r\n

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\r\nDimitris Karantounias \r\n

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