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RENGETEG

Thy Catafalque

Experimental/Post Metal


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Thy Catafalque Rengeteg album cover
4.00 | 63 ratings | 7 reviews | 35% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 2011

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Fekete mezők (9:20)
2. Kel keleti szél (3:59)
3. Trilobita (3:52)
4. Kő koppan (4:38)
5. Vashegyek (14:08)
6. Holdkomp (5:45)
7. Kék ingem lobogó (3:51)
8. Az eső, az eső, az eső (5:23)
9. Tar gallyak végül (3:47)
10. Minden test fű (5:11)

Total Time 59:54

Line-up / Musicians

- Tamás Kátai / vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass, programming

With:
- Attila Bakos / clean vocals
- Ágnes Tóth / vocals
- Mihály Simkó-Várnagy / cello

Releases information

Title translates as "Big Trackless Forest"

Artwork: Tamás Kátai [Based On The Graphic Works Of Rui Luz]

CD Season Of Mist ‎- SOM252 (2011, France)

2LP Blood Music ‎- BLOOD-027 (2013, Finland) Remastered by Gautier Serre

Thanks to dirk66 for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
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THY CATAFALQUE Rengeteg ratings distribution


4.00
(63 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(35%)
35%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(37%)
37%
Good, but non-essential (14%)
14%
Collectors/fans only (8%)
8%
Poor. Only for completionists (6%)
6%

THY CATAFALQUE Rengeteg reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by EatThatPhonebook
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars 8/10

"Rengeteg" is a must for Avant-Garde Metal fans.

Thy Catafalque have been on the map for quite a few years, yet they've been pretty much ignored by a good part of the metal community and had a few but very enthusiastic fans. Personally, this band for me was always one to check out, especially after releasing "Roka Hasa Radio", easily one of the best albums of 2009. It seemed hard to top that release, however, "Rengeteg" maintains the same high quality.

Frequently labeled as Avant-garde Metal, this band is a lot more than that: being from Hungary, the traditional music of the country is a huge influence in Thy Catafalque's melodies, and has always been. But we also have Black Metal, Industrial Metal, Folk, Electronic beats and samples, and not to forget Progressive Rock. Their vast amount of influences have made them a pretty impacting band for whoever has listened to their material. "Rengeteg" keeps this same mixture of styles as the previous albums, but there's somewhat more straight-forwardness here, the songs and melodies being a lot less experimental per se and more focused on the melody. As a consequence the ten songs here are relatively shorter than the other albums, with some inevitable exceptions of course. But the melodies are always clear and easy to remember, even after one sole listen, unlike the tracks featured on "Roka Hasa Radio".

The previous album, although more experimental and brave, was sort of a one-faced album, meaning that for the great part of it the music was pretty much mellow. "Rengeteg" elegantly mixes the heaviness with the calm parts, creating a wonderful balance that is almost symmetrical. This symmetry is there also in terms of straight-forwardness and quirkiness: the first part of the LP is more easy-going, while the second part is more experimental, even though this division is not at all firm: there are indeed experimental moments in the first part, and there are very memorable ones in the second part. The two distinct sides of the album are clearly separate by the axis of these ten songs, the fourteen minute epic "Vashegyek", placed obviously in the exact middle of the LP.

Each one of these songs is pretty much a little gem of it's own: the nine minute intro, possibly the heaviest song here, the extremely memorable "Trilobita", and the more electronic based "Ko Koppan" are the definite highlights of the first half, while the second part boasts songs like the mind blowing electronics of "Holdkomp" and track number eight, but also more heavy moments like the closing track.

Overall "Rengeteg" is an extraordinary follow up to "Roka Hasa Radio", which might even outdo it in some ways. Thy Catafalque are a band that should be infinitely praised for the utterly original sound and songwriting abilities, as well as their bold experiments with Hungarian Folk music, Ambient and Electronic. A must for any Avant-Garde Metal/Black Metal fan, in my book.

Review by Conor Fynes
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars 'Rengeteg' - Thy Catafalque (8/10)

There's something to be said for a metal band that manages to find an original sound. Even in the so-called avant-garde metal style, a listener is bound to find scores of artists pulling out the same 'weird' cliches, without necessarily doing something fresh with them. First hearing Thy Catafalque and the work of Tamás Kátai through his more death metal-oriented project Gire, it was clear to me from the start that there was something sincerely 'out there' about this music. On "Rengeteg", fans of this Hungarian act's previous work will get what they expect: a viciously eclectic dose of strange folk melodies, industrial percussion, and plenty of synthesized goodness. It's not a taste for everyone, but "Rengeteg" is one of the most interesting musical experiences I've heard in recent times.

As far as avant-garde music goes, it almost feels wrong to get the impression of catchiness, or even 'fun' in the music. After all, this is supposed to be heavy, experimental art- catchy hooks and danceability are traits most often reserved for the worst forms of pop. With that being said, "Rengeteg" is an album filled with crazy hooks. "Trilobita" is a feisty folk metal jig fueled with mesmerizing vocal and synth melodies. "Az eső, az eső, az eső" is a little more melancholic, but no less instantly memorable, built around a fiery organ lick that blends perfectly with the more jarring metal riffs. Compared to Thy Catafalque's earlier stuff, "Rengeteg" comes across as a more melodic incarnation of the band's sound. The industrial riffing is still potentially heavy as ever, but Thy Catafalque has largely absconded its more black metal-oriented origins.

"Rengeteg" may have moments of accessibility, but at its core, it remains challenging, even ugly in parts. To counter off the shorter pieces, "Vashegyek" looms around the fifteen minute mark, swerving through Eastern European folk tradition and harsh industrial riffs. Although it largely amounts to personal taste, the industrial elements feel less fitting for Thy Catafalque's sound. It is not so much that it is so much heavier than the rest of "Rengeteg"s ingredients, but rather that it sounds so robotic. Thy Catafalque enjoys some brilliant guest vocalists, warm keyboards and synths, and vast atmosphere. In the midst of this, electronic double-kicks and noisy guitars don't seem to fit as well as they could have. As one could expect from something so eclectic, the production is a little inconsistent, once again favouring the warmer, 'human' elements of the album over the industrial sounds.

There are a great deal of synth and keyboards on "Rengeteg", but the strange Eastern melodies seem perfectly suited for them. Thy Catafalque takes a vast array of styles and ambitions, and condenses them into a blending pan of strange, enjoyable music. Comparisons may be drawn with Sigh, but it's clear that this Hungarian act has a sound it can call its own. Nightmares may ensue, but they'll be worth it.

Review by The Crow
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Rengeteg, one of my biggest surprises back in 2011!!!

Tamás Kátai is a very talented musician from Hungary, and Thy Catafalque is his alter ego. And after the departure of his long-time partner János Juhász the shadow of the doubt flew over this record, because Kátai had to do almost all by himself. But the fans were not disappointed when they heard this great record, one of the band's finest.

Maybe the production is a bit weak, and the drum's sound too crunchy, but the quality and originality of the music compensates it all. Rengeteg is a very interesting mixture between experimental metal and avant-garde following the best tradition of bands like Celtic Frost, but with a very progressive and retro sound that brings bands like the great (and deserving to be in Prog Archives) Amorphis to mind.

Fekete mezők opens this albums with a tasty death metal feeling, some black metal passages but with strong symphonic arrangements. The vocals are superb, specially because of Attila Bakos! Then comes Kel keleti szél, a gothic metal piece with excellent guitar melodies and a Hammond organ that automatically brings Amorphis to mind. Trilobita follows this path, not really progressive but with catchy and with pristine songwriting.

Kő koppan offers dreamy melodies with precious voices, cello and with an appropiate prog-folk sound which leads to Vashegyek, which is arguably the best song of Rengeteg with its female chorus and oriental melodies which derivate in a great alternative metal song. A must for all avant-garde fans!

Holdkomp is a good sample of electronic folk metal, while Kék ingem lobogó is another highlight of the album despite its simplicity. Just very well written! Az eső, az eső, az eső has an odd start, but then some good mellow guitars give way to another very good song. But the same cannot be said for Tar gallyak végül, an instrumental gothic tune wich is forgettable. A pity, because apart of this song and maybe also Holdkomp the album is almost flawless.

Minden test fű is just brutal death metal, with sharp voices and good drumming, but toward the ending give way to another marvelous accelerated prog-rock melody also influenced by Amorphis in my opinion.

Conclusion: at the end of Rengeteg, we leave really satisfied and grateful for this wonderful travel of dark sounding compositions, with enough complexity to satisfy all prog-metal fans while being accessible for more mainstream metal bands. I'm not giving this album five stars because two song which are not so brilliant (despite being good enough) and the weak production.

Best Tracks: all of them, with the exception of Tar gallyak végül and Holdkomp.

My rating: ****

Review by Warthur
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars This is the first Thy Catafalque album crafted by Tamás Kátai as a solo performer (with guests on vocals and cello), rather than as a collaboration with Juhász János on guitar - and to be honest, if I hadn't looked that up I wouldn't have guessed, because this pristinely produced exercise in blackened avant-metal with ample folk, prog and electronic influences and experimentation feels like a whole-band effort. The entire scope of Thy Catafalque's sonic universe is brought together in album centrepiece Vashegyek, a 14 minute tour de force which should win you over to Thy Catafalque's approach even if no other composition on here does. Pick it up if you like the idea of atmospheric black metal by way of early Tangerine Dream as performed for an Eastern European folk festival.

Latest members reviews

4 stars 5th April, 2021: Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg (avant-garde progressive metal, 2011) Thy Catafalque's eclecticism can occasionally be a bit of a barrier - the deliberately obscure vocals, samples, drum machine loops and overall aesthetic does make you compare them to wackier and more gimmick-centri ... (read more)

Report this review (#2690511) | Posted by Gallifrey | Tuesday, February 8, 2022 | Review Permanlink

5 stars Thy Catafalque manage the impossible. No one can maintain an atmosphere composed of such earth-crushing heaviness, such vibrant textural earthiness, and such a range of timbre like Thy Catafalque. Even the lyrics contribute to the album's massive, ancient atmosphere. I didn't imagine an endeavor ... (read more)

Report this review (#1127767) | Posted by Earendil | Wednesday, February 5, 2014 | Review Permanlink

4 stars A forest of sounds Tamás Kátai, the mastermind of Hungarian experimental, post-black metal, eastern European folk... *breath*... industrial, "space rock" metal band Thy Catafalque, as you can see, has an intriguing vision of his music. Having recorded four albums before RENGETEG, it's actua ... (read more)

Report this review (#626373) | Posted by bartosso | Saturday, February 4, 2012 | Review Permanlink

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