Interview to CATHARSONIST (USA)

1. Hello my friend, pleasure to have you on Rotten Pages ´zine. How are you doing today? Let us set the scene first. Where do we find you right now? Please describe your surroundings.

It’s a pleasure to be on Rotten Pages. Currently the three of us, Tristan (guitar), Max (drums) and Joe (keyboards), are hanging out in our separate lairs around the Denver area enjoying the holidays and taking a little break from rocking out.

The camera pans back to reveal tristan sitting on a small stage depicting a living room. The stage sits in a clearing deep within the forests of Colorado. In the background, Joe and Max toil by torchlight as the sun sets in the background.

2. Would we start with the origin of the band, both in terms of ideologically and musically, your aims in shaping the direction of catharsonist?

The Band really started post Covid, we were all isolated and missing playing music. All three of us had played together in the past and Tristan reached out and said “I’ve got all this music written, let’s start a band and play it”. It all started there and we got to practicing and putting together our sound.

Max and Joe seem to be painting occult sigils in the trampled-down grasses using a bucket full of red liquid. Possibly blood. Tristan still sits in his leather chair in the interview living room stage.

3. Looking back at your beginning (2023), what would you say was the biggest success in your career and what was the biggest mistake or setback?

It feels like the biggest success was releasing “Embrace Insignificance”. Writing and recording an album requires a lot of work and dedication and we’re very proud with what we’ve accomplished with it.

The biggest mistake was probably not getting started sooner. Sometimes It feels like you are waiting for something to happen instead of creating it yourself and I’d say that was the case with getting the band going. If you want to do something, particularly something hard, sometimes you just have to go make it happen.

Joe chants ominously in a baritone voice, reading from a thick tome bound in what appears to be human skin. Max has removed his robe and is dancing naked in the moonlight around the blood-sigil. Tristan remains on the interview stage, pretending not to notice.

4. The debut album "Embrace Insignificance" is already out a few months ago. Why did it take so long to release a complete album?

It’s hard to create an album…

Our music is hard to play, it takes time to learn and recording is a long and intensive process. It took awhile for all the pieces to come together for the album to happen but we’re very proud of the results and definitely learned a lot along the way.

The Moon turns red in the background. The lighting on the stage seems normal.

5. Musical structure in the album sounds really “technical”, It seems you fell as really keen on the technical side of the music. Regarding all these, can you explain the song writing process of these songs?

The music definitely leans on the more technical elements of music. We love to use odd timings, unconventional phrasings, and unique approaches to allow our music to stand out. We really try to create tension and energy with the technical approach and then when we hit those more conventional elements there is a palpable release or catharsis. When a song suddenly hits that 4:4 moment and you can just groove the music feels bigger and more impactful.

The songwriting process definitely leans into this and even the name of the band comes from this element of tension and release.

The earth shakes as Joe continues his chant and Max continues to dance. Tristan's stage is shaking and he probably notices but is pretending that everything is normal.

6. Tell us about the recording sessions, how did it go? Was it your first time in the studio? How long did it take you to finish everything?

The recording sessions were awesome. We were working with Pete deBoer at World Famous Studios right outside of Denver. It was our first time doing a full studio recording so Pete definitely helped us through the process. I don’t think you’re ever fully prepared the first time you go in but we found our legs and settled in pretty quickly.

It took longer than we expected, maybe 10 days or so, but we really leaned into that time and created something bigger than we expected. Our tip to others getting ready to record would be to expect it to take longer than you think and have fun with the time, it reflects in the music.

The trees surrounding the clearing spontaneously burst into flame.

7. You mix traditional rock with a pinch of progressive. What are your musical influences that contribute significantly to the songwriting?

Our influences are fairly diverse, we definitely come from different musical backgrounds and that plays a part in the music.

Bands like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Metallica were big early influences. Then it grew into bands like Between the Buried and Me, At the Gates, and Thursday along with game composers like Nobou Uematsu and Yoshinori Mitsuda. Musical scores have always been a big influence and play a big part in our sound.

The center of the summoning circle dissolves into a vortex of decay. Smokey ghosts stream up and out from the vortex in every direction. Tristan looks greenish and sickly, but determined to continue acting normal. Max and Joe are doubled over in the background vomiting and moaning.

8. What makes the perfect Catharsonist song? Is there one on the album in particular that encapsulates this?

“The Fifteenth Wish” definitely feels like the type of musical journey we enjoy creating. The ups and downs and movement of the music really tells a story and keeps you engaged. It’s hard to think that there is one song that encapsulates our sound perfectly since we have a pretty diverse approach but that one stands out.

A giant house-sized hand emerges from the vortex and grips at the earth pulling itself out from unknown depths.

9. Can you brief us about the writing and recording procedures of your music? Is the writing procedure a collective effort?

The writing process is usually driven by Tristan. That’s where we get the foundation of the music and then it’s brought to the rest of the band where we really flesh it out and give it life. Joe and Max bring their own elements to the process and if we’re doing it right, we end up with something bigger and more badass than the sum of the parts.

The eldritch beast has emerged into this world and it is angry. Numerous eyes and too many mouths glare and snarl. Acidic drippings adorn its leathery flesh glistening ominously in the moonlight.

10. When you write, are you also thinking about how the music may translate live or perhaps how a video may be used to promote a given song? I guess the music comes first but I’m interested in how soon the visual aspects become important.

Visual aspects are not a top priority for us but we definitely have a vision for the sound aesthetically and are excited when we can lean into it. Max, our drummer, creates our artwork, his style definitely lends a signature feel and compliments the music in a big way. We love the album artwork for both our releases, it does feel like a true visual accompaniment to the music. Hopefully we can do more visually as the band grows, particularly live.

Tristan's reply is barely audible over the gnashing of Max's bones from inside one of the creature's many mouths and Joe's joyful screams from within the bondage of a tentacle — he knows he will be next.

11. What kind of feelings do you have at the moment when everything is done, the album is coming out, in general are you personally pleased with the way how the album turned out in terms of production and mixing?

Yes, very pleased with how the album turned out. I think there are always things you look back at and say “what if” about, but given the time and resources we had to work with, we feel we came out with something greater than what we put in. Maybe one day we’ll have a big budget and can spend months in the studio but there is something to be said about making your time count and working on the clock so to speak.

Joe is indeed next to the slaughter and his screams cut off in the middle of Tristan's last response. This leaves only a rhythmic crunching and various squelching noises. To his credit, Tristan's voice barely wavers and the stutter in his voice is barely noticeable..

12. If we divided the history of metal into decades--70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s... Which do you prefer and why?

For metal, I think the 70s and 80s probably had the biggest impact. Just the defining of that early heavy sound with bands like Black Sabbath, King Crimson, Metallica etc.

The sheer heat from the beast has ignited the surrounding foliage and the flames spread quickly through the forest. Finally the perfect lighting of the stage has been tinted with flickering flames.

13. Do you have a special “dream” to achieve in music? Like playing a special show, doing a special recording or playing with a special musician?

I feel like just putting the music out there and knowing that at least a few people are really enjoying it is the real dream. If we can write one person’s favorite song I think we’re doing something right…

I’m sure we all have musicians who we would love to share a stage with or a venue that would be awesome to play but we try to focus on creating the best music we can and letting it take us where it will.

Tristan continues to try to act normal as he's picked up by one of the beast's many tentacles.

14. Let’s finish this interview by looking into the future. What would you like your band to be known for?

Hmm, what would we like to be known for? Maybe helping to bring complex music to a larger audience? If we can help listeners appreciate technical and complex music and have a broader appreciation for musical diversity as a whole, that would be a pretty cool thing to be known for.

After devouring the band, the beast retreats back into the portal in the woods. All that remains is the scorched landscape and an empty stage seared by the lingering flames…

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553766743320