Dear Readers, in this article we have the pleasure to offer you an interview with a new Heavy/Doom Metal project from the USA and their debut album released on December 16, 2024. We welcome Catapult Collision.
Hello, how are you?
“We are doing great, thanks so much for the interview and the opportunity to tell our story.“
The band formed recently, how did the project come about and what does the band name Catapult Collision mean to you?
“All four of us met at a rock school where we played together in various previous projects, with Ben (drums/vocals) as our coach. Catapult Collision formed in 2021, with punk rock roots, and over time, evolved into the blackened doom metal soundscapes heard on the record. The band started as a project for Justin (lead guitar/screams) and his daughter Catarina (rhythm guitar/vocals) to bond over making music together. Ben became our drummer when we took the band away from the rock school to pursue greater creative goals. Jeana (bass/vocals) replaced Catarina as bassist when Catarina left to serve an 18-month mission for her church. Because we absolutely loved Jeana’s clean vocals, we started writing songs that featured more of her voice. When Catarina returned, she loved the sound of our evolved songs and rejoined the band. Catarina learned all of the band’s songs remarkably fast on both rhythm guitar and vocals. The name Catapult Collision came from Ben telling Catarina that her stage name should be Catapult. Justin liked Catapult as a potential band name and eventually paired it with Collision. Catapult Collision represents being pummeled by our sound as a castle wall might be pummeled by a projectile launched from a catapult.“
You offer a Heavy/Doom Metal sound, how did your passion for these sonorities come about?
“After Ben introduced us to some of his favorite doom/sludge metal bands, such as Windhand and Kylesa, we fell in love with the downtuned guitars and slow, heavy riffs. Our sound began to shift from the speed and aggression of punk rock, to slower, longer songs with multiple movements, although you still may hear some punk influence in parts of our songs. Black metal, and especially atmospheric post-black metal became the next element as a connection point between Ben’s passion for fast-paced blast beats, thrash metal, and death metal, and for Justin’s shifting passion for slower and more ethereal soundscapes.“
Regarding this, what are your main sources of inspiration?
“For this record, our main source of inspiration was finding catharsis in exploring pain, suffering, and confusion afflicting each of us, through the medium of music, and expelling the related emotions and feelings through performance. Bands that currently inspire Justin include Agalloch, Svalbard, Alcest, Eldamar, Sunn O))), Bell Witch, Evergarden, White Ward, Shape of Despair, Hope Drone, Cold World, Windhand, Spelljammer, Kylesa, Yob, Monolord, amongst many others. Jeana gets a lot of her vocal styling from Emma Ruth Rundle and Miranda Mercer. Catarina is very inspired by Alcest and Ben’s other band, The Eye-Birds. Ben’s top three band influences are Mogwai, Mayhem, and Bathory. Ben’s main drumming influences are Ryan Wolfe from Windhand and Mick Fleetwood from Fleetwood Mac.“
Your debut album ‘Beneath’ was released on December 16, 2024, how would you describe this work?
“Beneath was born from a year and a half of writing, playing the songs live, modifying the songs multiple times, and many studio sessions either recording, editing, or mastering. The experience was an incredible growth period for the band, which improved our instrument skill level, songwriting, and studio recording.“
Five long tracks with intertwining instrumental and vocal parts, what themes do the lyrics of the album deal with?
“Themes include: loss, despair, death, and anger. Beneath tells the story of an individual who committed suicide by weighing himself down with heavy objects and jumping off a bridge into a lake where he drowned. The album cover art is a visual representation of the song; The Bending is a lyrical poem about the consequences of succumbing to dangerous passions, being bereft of love, and becoming disillusioned; Tomorrow is a proclamation of boundaries after loss of trust and releasing of the spell and delusion of false love; Not Good Enough focuses on never meeting another’s standards, and being blamed for offenses, that in reality, are being made by the accuser themself.“
Well constructed riffs and a solid sound, how does the creative process of your music take place?
“Many times Justin brings several riffs to the band and we jam them out for a while to figure out whether they fit together. Justin or Jeana typically write lyrics and then the band collaborates on final versions of those lyrics. Specifically, for The Bending, Jeana created a vocal melody and Justin came up with chord progressions for the verse and chorus, while Ben came up with ideas for the breakdowns. Jeana asked Justin to write a solo with harmonic-minor elements for the song. Thus, our songwriting tends to be highly collaborative. One person may bring the original riff or lyrics, but by the time a song is complete, everyone has made an impact on a synergistic end result.“
Many of our readers and your fans wonder if there will be a chance to hear your music live, do you have plans in this regard for the near future?
“We frequently play live in the Central Valley of California where we live. Our next show will likely take place in January 2025 as an album release show. We’ve also been discussing doing some periodic live streams. The best way to keep informed is to follow our Facebook or Instagram socials.“
The USA has always been one of the main exponents of Rock sounds in the world, how do you see the modern music scene in your country?
“Music is an ever evolving ecosystem with many elements that can bring forth great things but can also produce lots of affectless noise. Although so much highly produced, yet underwhelming music floods the mainstream market, we do have so much more access to quality music than even 10 years ago. Overall, the modern music scene here in the US is a mixture of lots of vapid noise and some really amazing gems. You just have to want to find those gems. Local music scenes, especially in the heavy underground, thrive on those willing to make it happen, either by putting on DIY shows, playing in those shows, going to shows, and otherwise supporting local artists through purchasing their merchandise. Our local music scene has some incredible talent, and we love sharing the stage with other bands or watching from the audience.“
The music market is constantly evolving, how difficult is it to establish yourself with a sound like yours?
“Our goal has never been to establish ourselves in any traditional way, but to make music for ourselves and for those who connect with our songs. Doom metal as a sub-genre is typically not going to find mainstream accessibility, and even the most popular doom metal bands are still very much DIY projects. We appreciate the innate intimacy of DIY music scenes.“
What advice would you give to young artists approaching music with a passion for heavy sounds?
“First, just start playing, whether you think you are ready or not. Second, focus on instrumental techniques that fit the feelings and emotions you wish to express. Third, find bands that inspire you and figure out why they inspire you. What are they doing that holds your interest above other bands? Fourth, be willing to learn from others around you and get comfortable with collaborating.“
Do you have any other activities or artistic passions outside music?
“Ben is a phenomenal sketch artist, painter, music coach, and song-writer. Catarina enjoys writing short stories and organizing plays with children in the community. Jeana writes for a couple music review blogs and hosts YouTube interviews with bands in the heavy underground music scene. Justin enjoys writing prose, but spends most of his free time writing and playing music.“
I thank the band for the interview and wish them all the best for the continuation of their artistic career.
