Over the years that I have been following Kataklysm`s activities, I’ve seen them go through ups and downs and surely never expected them to regain their former status after the disastrous _Victims Of A Fallen World_. But surely Kataklysm have overcome their line-up problems and fought to gain back respect and reputation, leading to the third album with the new line-up: _Shadows & Dust_. It is debatable if pumping out a new album each year is the way to keep delivering good songs, but fact is that _Shadows & Dust_, like its two predecessors, has some very strong points along with some weaker ones. What strikes me most when comparing the three releases is that the production on _Shadows & Dust_ is crystal-clear, giving especially the drums a much better place in the musical spectrum.

The vocals are shifting once more; they sound a lot less forced than on _The Prophecy_ but have a more generic feeling to them compared to _Epic_, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but I prefer the other style. Giving this disc a few spins there’s another thing striking me: the song structures of _Shadows & Dust_ are more reminiscent of the early Kataklysm material, up to the point where I would say that on its peak moments this album is a modernised version of 1996`s _Temple Of Knowledge_. Whether fans of the early material will accept this sleek and almost over-produced style I can’t say, but I personally think this album is the best in their new style.