www.facebook.com/kattlikmetal
Sounds like: Metal
From: Sweden
1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound? Who thought of the name "Kattlik" and is there any meaning behind it?
When I (Leo) started switching from classical to electric guitar I also started to listen to more extreme metal. That said most of my early bands were other kinds of music. And after highschool I had nobody to play the extreme stuff with. But I did join a rock band and I bonded with the drummer. We started driving the band more towards a heavier sound and a more progressive or at least open to new ideas kind of mentality. This band became "en to alma" and was our main band for a long time. But life got in the way and people moved and Mattias and I were left alone for weeks at a time. We wanted to play more and so we started Kattlik.
Kattlik was a brainchild of mine, I had for years wanted to do some death metal in Swedish. I felt it had such a primal force to it. And the name was me making fun of metal posers that try to present themselves as such evil bad dudes and are just silly mommas boys. I knew quite a few of those. And they usually ended up with gory band names which I found amusingly contradicting. The name as two meanings it can mean Cat-like but it can also mean cat corpse.
2. What do you want people to take away from your music?
We wanted to personify the power of metal (yeah I know. Way to set the bar). Metal to me is power, force. I think a lot of people see it as aggression. And sure anger gives you a power boost but to me there are a lot of stuff that impress me more than angry dudes. Like nature, you can be the strongest dude in the world but your not gonna move a bolder that's been lodged for 1000 years. Man can build civilizations that in a few hundred years are buried in the jungle. I try to channel that primeval power of nature in our songs.
3. How would you describe your sound to the average listener?
Forceful, doomy death metal. Slow and heavy with a twist of thrashy bits to re-energize you.
4. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?
Sepultura, Meshuggah, and Alien Weaponry.
5. How has Covid affected what you do?
We took these years to go in to the studio and write a bunch of songs. And for the first time really take our time and really feel the songs out. We love playing live so that has sucked and more so cause we hate looking for gigs so its been a slow start to get back but finally got out again and it feels great.
6. What’s your take on the current state of Metal?
Sadly there's a lack of renewal. Or i guess it'd be more accurate to say that newer bands don't get as much attention as they deserve. Metal fans used to be rulebreakers and enjoyed innovation and have become a bit conservative. I work as a music teacher and sure rock and metal is way "out" as I comes to the popular opinion. But the real problem as I see it is that the little metalhead are just as conservative as their parents. And its all the old bands that have been around forever that get all the attention. A lot of us old guys blame the grid alignment and 5million take compilations but I think the big problem is the laziness cause there are good new bands. but its just easier to complain and be elitist I guess.
7. What’s the current music scene like locally there in Sweden?
Sweden is always a good place to be. We always have a good growth of new bands but sadly less and less venues. Then again small bands have always had to fight for the breadcrums. But when it comes to the quality of music Sweden is as good as ever. Sadly (like always) the Poppier bands get all the publicity. Well them and the proven oldheads.
8. What’s your take on the royalties that streaming services pay out to artists?
I guess the Artists have always been on the short end of the stick. When enough people complain changes are made just enough to get people to shut up. And so on... Short answer fucked up that the one creating the product never is the one make the most from it.
9. What's next for Kattlik?
Getting out and playing. We've missed giging so bad. We need to get outside of Sweden as well. But nothing firmly booked yet. Also We've recorded a bunch of songs for a full length album. So we're looking for a good deal to release it, or maybe we'll do it our selves. Time will tell...
10. Any shoutouts?
All you great openminded people that still try out new shit! You people rock!
