I wasn’t expecting much from CATARACT’s When Triumph Comes Loss, but surprisingly the band delivered a punishing attack with opener, “Killing Loss,” and never let up until the last anguished note of the album closing title track. Hailing from the unlikely locale of Switzerland, the band goes along way in dispelling any rumors that the country is all about banks, fancy knives, and odd-smelling cheese with holes. Heavily mired in SLAYER-worship, the band delivers driving riffs, punchy beats, and breakdown after breakdown that would have HATEBREED blushing with envy. If you’re looking for something you’ve never heard before or ground breaking originality, forget it, as CATARACT sounds like a head-on collision between the aforementioned bands with some HEAVEN SHALL BURN and STAMPIN GROUND thrown in for good measure. That said, the band delivers their message with urgency and drive with an enthusiasm that negates their lack of originality. The band also benefits from Tue Madsen’s (THE HAUNTED, HATESPHERE, MNEMIC) crystal clear, razor-sharp production. While it’s unlikely to be any riffs on the album that you have not heard before, rarely have said riffs been delivered with such energy and conviction. (Metal Blade Records)