Remember a few years ago when major music monthlies were dedicating entire issues to the new sound coming out of Montreal? Comparing our fair city to Seattle in the early 90s might have made for an easy headline, but the fact is, there is no one scene in Montreal. Proving that point is The Catalyst, a five-headed monster of purest hardcore metal that have as much to do with The Dears as Black Sabbath did with The Mommas and the Poppas. They’ve got something for everyone who enjoys a little head banging: growled vocals for the death metal kids, fleet-fingered guitar solos for the old schoolers, machine gun rhythms and breakdowns for the hardcore. Lead vocalist (or is that lead growler?) Matt Bailie talks about the metal scene in Montreal.
Q: How did the band get together?
MB: About three years ago, my guitarist Graham started jamming with a drummer. They needed a bass, so they called Mike Marino, who had left his previous band. Eventually I joined the band; we had a few lineup changes, then Justin, our other guitarist and Dennis, our drummer joined.
Q: Tell me about the upcoming album.
MB: The name of the album is Origins. You should see it in stores in 2010. We’ve had many [record label] offers, things are looking up.
Q: You guys have played many shows, what were some highlights?
MB: Opening for EdGuy at Club Soda was amazing. Another huge show was when we headlined Foufs this past July. Recently, we opened for 3 Inches of Blood, which was my favourite show ever.
Q: You guys have some quotes on your website from members of successful metal bands like Arch Enemy and Cryptopsy. What’s it like to have people like that compliment you on your music?
MB: It feels unbelievable; five years ago I never thought I’d be at the point where guys I looked up to would… be giving us props.
Q: What are the band’s plans until the album drops?
MB: We might do a cross-Canada run. I don’t see us doing America, if only because of problems getting gear across the border. Before the album comes out we’re playing wherever we can. We never say no to a show. We also use Facebook and Myspace to spread the word about The Catalyst.
Q: For the past few years, Montreal has been known for bands like The Arcade Fire, an indie-pop sound. Do you think the next big thing out of Montreal will be its metal bands?
MB: We have bands like Despised Icon, Cataclysm, and The Agonist. Montreal has a big metal scene. This metal is hard, aggressive, and angry. That’s the difference between now and metal 10 years ago. [Laughs] Who says real metal is dead?
The Catalyst will be playing Nov. 25 at Café Chaos with Avery’s Descent and Ravage.
