Have FATES WARNING reunited with John Arch? Is MERCURY RISING still around? We could push this further by asking, is PSYCHOTIC WALTZ still together? Sadly no, but KATAGORY V is there to remind us of these good bands, with their strong second release “A New Breed Of Rebellion”. And without doing a bad pun, it is indeed a new breed of rebellion, but the rebellion stops flat.

In fact, although the band has written some catchy yet intense songs, keeping in mind that melodies don’t have to suffer from a certain level of technicality, the similarities with the above mentioned bands are way too obvious. From the voice of Lynn Allers, which is nearly a dead ringer of PSYCHOTIC WALTZ singer Buddy Lackey, to the distorted guitars that seem to come right out of FATES WARNING’s “Awaken The Guardian”, everything too often will remind the listener of parts of old albums from famous Progressive Metal bands. KATAGORY V won’t suffer from getting their own identity, to try to follow a different path, while staying true to the music they love to play and record.

A new album is due out this year, so we’ll see which lane they will choose. The easiest already too often followed by many Progressive Band nowadays, or the difficult road to a unique personality. We can just wish KATAGORY V, that their next album that will reflects their own character, instead of just showcasing greatnesses of the past. (Online April 17, 2005)