Katër Mass is in a weird position. If they'd existed 16 years ago, they'd have been just one of what seemed like hundreds of bands playing multi-vocal, post-Embrace emo. Still, they do it so damn well they might have risen above a lot of others. Existing now, though, it's very difficult to take the band simply as a thing of its own. The temptation is to immediately toss out easy comparisons to early Hot Water Music and Unfun-era Jawbreaker. Those are the two major touchstones here. That said, nothing on [kaht-ur-mahs] feels stolen, no matter the influences in play. And in the smaller world of Athens punk, Katër Mass really does stand out.

Even so, the music is really a vehicle for the lyrics. Everyone knows that feeling of regret when you read a lyric sheet and realize that the band you just rocked out with are a bunch of dumbasses. There's none of that with [kaht-ur-mahs]. The songs are sometimes painfully personal, but nearly always somewhat universal.

The whole album is full of doubt, regret, resignation and love, but it starts off with a song so full of all of this that it really stands alone. Opening track “Pipefitter” says, “Your father spent 35 years in the same place/ Then you spent 30 more years there/ I know you never wanted John or I to do it/ But now, I've been just willing/ Better than living in this shit-hole I've dug here/ Better than praising fucking assholes all day/ I know you never wanted John or I to do it/ I was just willing to learn your hand.” And just like that, like the very music the band plays, generations pass torches and the world goes on and on and on.