KAT –30 Minutes of Life (2016 – reissue) – Metal Mind Productions

After reviewing three albums by Kat, I almost consider myself an specialist on their work, hahaha! Of course, I’m just kidding, because it’s really difficult to be a specialist on a band with such a long discography, but it’s true that after hearing some of their main works, it’s possible to notice some common features and also some differences among all these albums. This one was released in the far away year of 1987 and it’s a register of a live show when Kat toured over Poland with Metallica, Overkill, Helloween and Running Wild. At that time, this was probably a great happening, what justifies their desire to record this live performance forever. And I can say that probably they didn’t disappoint their fans and not even the bands with whom they played, because this gig brings a traditional and straight-to-the-point speed/thrash metal, very different from their 90’s releases.

As it proper from this time, they show here all those characteristics that made the happiness of the headbangers then: fast riffs, strong vocals and choruses, lots of guitar solos, heavy bass and speed drumming. I could say that one of their main influences here could be Accept in their more furious moments, but they add tons of thrash features too. Maybe I could mention here some influences of Exodus and Metallica and this crossover between speed and thrash metal sounds great for those who like bang their heads and have some cold bottles of beer (well, at least here in Brazil, we like the beer when it’s almost freezing!). Despite all these aspects, in comparison with their later releases, this one sounds simpler and rawer, what doesn’t necessarily means it’s not good. Besides this, you also can spot some Accept and Metal Church influences. In fact, I don’t know if these are really their influences, but at least it’s perfectly possible to notice that they tread very similar paths sometimes.

Among the highlights, I mention the totally heavy metal “Wyrocznia”, a great midpaced song with excting guitars and a fast neck-breaking part that could kill many headbangers all around the world, “Mag-Sex”, which has a beautiful acoustic introduction, and “Glos Z Ciemnosci”, a kind of ballad which shows their quality as composers, because you have to be good to write a ballad that is not boring and this is the case here.  Well, all the songs are pretty good and make their function as heavy metal hymns and, besides this, the album has also a historical value, what means a lot in terms of old school metal. For those who like that traditional heavy/speed/thrash from the mid-eighties, this live album is perfect for your thirst. So, just try it, but don’t forget the beer!

Cristiano Passos