Thy Catafalque: ‘XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek’ Review
The album artwork for the new album
Thy Catafalque (or Thy Catflap in very specific and limited circles), the brainchild of Hungarian musical prodigy Tamás Kátai and an increasing cast of friends and lovers has set upon the world another particularly bespoke album. For those unfamiliar, Kátai is the sole songwriter and principal instrumentalist, laying the foundation for these records, and directs an ever-expanding cast of players to add the finishing touches to an eclectic mix of metal, folk and electronica with a central theme of nature and the pleasures of such.
The latest addition to the Catafalque canon, titled XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek – or with considerably more brevity, XII – is no less interesting than the eleven that came before. Infact, while previous effort Alföld attempted to sit within a more standard metal mould, XII once again goes on a much more exploratory journey. Despite passing similarities to the record before even that, Vadak, this new offering seeks to carve its own path all the same. The lessons learned from Alföld are carried forward even so: we’re greeted with a set of more concise tracks. While more focused, XII is equal to prior work in its ambition, with the trademark eclectic elements in full form through the range of non-traditional instrumentation and wider compositional choices.
Opener Piros kocsi, fekete éj feels like a perfect introduction to the record, combining some excellent guitar melodies and incredible synths with a catchy chorus and some bright, sunny vibes. Even at its heaviest and darkest, it still fundamentally turns around and finds a spark of hope: the absolute delight of a track that is Világnak világa conspires to unleash some of the most metal moments found on the record, before swiftly shifting gears and bolting into an absolutely phenomenal clean chorus hook – and it doesn’t stop there. Take for instance Mindenevö, a track that does not settle on a particular sound for long – visceral harsh vocals, choral elements and string-driven ambient segments are all to be found within its six-minute runtime.
XII is an excellently paced record – despite the fact it’s almost fully frontloaded with its heavier moments, the comparatively calmer tracks to follow are just as compelling in their approach. Learnings from previous material have been kept and refined too: brief moments of guitar lead work – a recent development from the previously rhythm-focused guitarfare of albums gone by – shine in their overall tasteful approach – see again the climax of Világnak világa, which makes no attempt at becoming an all-out shred fest even if the rest of the song’s composition would very much allow for that.
Tracks such as Vakond and Aláhullás present a brilliant intricacy in another trademark part of Thy Catafalque‘s sound – the incredibly prominent synth work, albeit in incredibly different contexts. The former leans fully into an almost swing vibe coupled with oud, baglama and many more traditional instruments. The latter complements an overall heavier sonic palette.
And through it all, a range of musicians spanning four continents add a fair bit of flair and variety to proceedings. The production, captivating as it is, serves to elevate these contributions – Ivett Dudás provides a wonderfully serene vocal performance acting as a calm before the storm on epic Ködkirály, and this is very much centre-stage for the track before it shifts into something else altogether, driven by an absolutely monstrous riff. Likewise with regular contributor Attila Bakos and his vocal additions on Piros kocsi, fekete éj, an incredibly smooth performance elevated by its perfect placement within a very deep and complex mix. All this to say: there is absolutely no flash, no ego in Kátai’s songcraft. There is only the vibe, and the work, and the splendour. Nothing else matters.
At its core, XII represents what would be the Oxford English dictionary definition of Thy Catafalque – extremely bright and pretty, whilst making no effort to hide its eclecticism. It brings with it a strong focus on fresh and varied ideas and a whole host of musicians involved to realise them. Across its brisk 49-minute runtime, a renewed sense of adventure greets the listener on this journey – and it comes across in a very accessible way too – it’s not trying to overwhelm you or scare you off at any point. Kátai is right there with you, outstretching his hand to invite you along for what proves to be a wonderful journey through what may well be his creative peak as an artist thus far.
Despite all of the treats found on XII, there’s already much more to come: Kátai is a man with a considerable songwriting addiction – even during the promotional cycle for this album, he was recording his next. Hungary’s Sisyphus has found another boulder to conquer – it might be out tomorrow, for all we know. We can only hope.
