It’s very unlikely that the Polish heavy metal scene would be what it is today without the pioneering work of Kat. Their influence reaches far beyond the style of metal they play, and their run of albums from the mid-eighties to the mid-nineties is still rightfully considered legendary. Since the band effectively split in two about two decades ago, guitarist Piotr Luczyk has been taking Kat back to basics, though not in a nostalgia-fueled manner. Kat’s new album ‘Death Is Not Enough’ proves that once again. It’s a lively album full of excellent, NWOBHM-inspired riffs with an almost thrashy bite.

Compared to its 2019 predecessor ‘Without Looking Back’, ‘Death Is Not Enough’ is a tighter listening experience first and foremost. Both albums are clearly cut from the same cloth – Luczyk’s riffing style is instantly recognizable – but ‘Death Is Not Enough’ clearly profits from being ten minutes shorter. It also feels a bit more aggressive, and that is likely down to Guilherme de Siervi’s vocals. His style isn’t even that different from Qbek Weigel’s, but his gruff, yet melodic approach just makes ‘Death Is Not Enough’ sound more metal than its predecessor. Not at the expense of Luczyk’s melodic guitar themes, fortunately.

Speaking of De Siervi: he is one of the two Brazilian musicians that contributed to ‘Death Is Not Enough’. Luczyk searched for the best possible musicians for the songs he had written, and found De Siervi and drummer Pedro Tinello in Brazil. Both of them do an excellent job. There is something very measured and intentional about Tinello’s playing, which especially shines in slower tracks, like the awesomely ominous ‘Falling into Darkness’. That’s not where Kat’s international line-up ends. South Korean singer Sieg delivers his best Halford screams on the energetic ‘Soulless Liar’, and current Nasty Savage live guitarist Jason Stallworth wrote the album’s lyrics.

Other highlights include the marvelously melodic ‘Taste of Pain’, which is somewhat reminiscent of German power metal before it got polished too much, the highly dynamic ‘Fiery Desires’, and the aggressive uptempo opener ‘Waging War’. ‘Haunted by You’ could be described as the album’s lone ballad, but given its reasonably unconventional structure and stately riffs, calling it a strong epic would be more appropriate. Luczyk’s solos in the song are exceptional as well. But really, ‘Death Is Not Enough’ is the most consistent set of Kat songs since ‘…Róże Miłości Najchętniej Przyjmują Się Na Grobach‘ from 1996, and simply a great collection of heavy metal songs.

Kat’s international adventure resulted in one of their strongest albums yet, and certainly their strongest from after their classic line-up fell apart. It’s great that Piotr Luczyk is still this inspired this many years into his career, and he managed to put together a line-up that plays the material with an energy that elevates it above the already fairly lofty standards set by ‘Without Looking Back’. Anyone looking for an NWOBHM-styled album that through its lively performances and production manages to sound very contemporary will find it on ‘Death Is Not Enough’.

Recommended tracks: ‘Falling into Darkness’, ‘Taste of Pain’, ‘Haunted by You’