BIOGRAPHY
Founded in 2017 by Jules Kicka, Catalyst is a 4-piece death metal act from France, dragging the old-school sound forward to open it up to a more contemporary, technical and progressive shade, apart from its kind.
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After a well-received debut EP “Down Of A Dreadful Fate” released the year the band emerged and the critically acclaimed album “The Great Purpose Of The Lords” two years later, Catalyst is about to release its sophomore album for the end of thIS year.
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The original story of “the Catalyst”, vital core character of the band’s concept, is being carried through the first album with 12 tracks produced by HK Krauss from Vamacara Studio (Loudblast, Sinsaneum, Dagoba, ...), while artistic direction was entrusted to Above Chaos (Meshuggah, Moonsorrow, ...).
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Through its diversity, the album will bring you to enigmatic fields of brutality and epicness, reaching a wide audience with its multiple assets.
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​Line-up
(from left to right)
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Jefferson Brand - Bass / Back vocals
Jules Kicka - Guitar / Vocals
Paul Loup - Drums
Florian Iochem - Guitar / back vocals
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THE ORIGINAL STORY OF THE CATALYST
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Throughout their music, the band is narrating the story of a universe brought to life by 9 Lords, originally protecting its integrity. Among them was the Creator, an almighty entity amid the others who lost control over his power, thus breaking that secular equity, begetting chaos beyond recall over his own creation.
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The 8 Wise Men, distraught and disunited from the Creator, decided to reign upon the universe without him. Weakened by the now-collapsed alliance, they intended to find a ninth entity who would become the carrier of their might.
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Then, their ambition took shape: through their immense power, the Lords assumed human form to hide among the mortal beings to find the one individual bent on purity to replace the Creator who will bring balance back in this sinking world. Once found, that living soul would become... the Catalyst.
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In “The Great Purpose Of The Lords”, the 8 Wise Men finally found an individual whose greatness incarnated their ideals. He is then put to the proof, the Guardians of the universe forcing him to experience three sights of that nefarious future: Chaos, Purification, and the Fall. Empowered by this ordeal, he would then be proclaimed to be the Catalyst, and the ninth of the Wise Men.
Who we are?
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Jules Kicka - Vocals / Guitar
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Jules is the frontman of the band, and he set to mature his project Catalyst right when he started to play music. It was at the age of 13 that he came out with the idea of a concept band revolving around both a narrative and musical experience, wrapped up in an original story imagined and written by himself. Working as a jurist and aspiring lawyer, Jules is investing himself into the French scene, be it through the organization of live shows with the associations he’s part of, as well as the help he provides to other bands when it comes down to record / produce themselves. He’s been part of other bands in the past, and still is a full time member of death metal band Nihilism, which enables him (along with his experience in Catalyst) to sharpen his skills in terms of scene and studio knowledge.
Jefferson Brand - Bass / Back vocals
Jefferson is indubitably a keystone of Catalyst’s music. He provides a large knowledge through his experience in the technical Metal scene, and also plays in the heavy metal band Crystal Throne. Aged 26 and a sociology graduate, he takes part in the local scene as well, since he belongs to an association which revolves around live shows establishment. He also dispenses his knowledge to younger musicians to whom he is teaching bass.
Florian Iochem - Guitars / Back vocals
At the ripe age of 20, Florian is the youngest member of the band. Being a student in musicology and aspiring teacher/researcher in this field, he also provides help to some other French bands, be it as a session guitarist (for the black/death metal band ACOD, base in Marseille) or as a full time member (in the band Sangdragon, medieval metal from Lyon). Shaping and strengthening his musical knowledge for 10 years now, he also teaches the specifics of his instrument to numerous young musicians in France.
Paul Loup - Drums
Aged 42, Paul is the elder of the band as well as the last one to join it. Fortified by his many years of experience in the world of extreme Metal & an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, he is bestowed with undeniable knowledge about the instruments of a Metal quartet, which brings an obvious force to the band both about the scene and the composition. Paul also played with numerous other death metal bands in the past.
