*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is North Carolina!
Killing The Catalyst was formed in Raleigh, North Carolina in December of 2010. The members joined forces after their previous groups had disbanded. They moved forward to succeed, and their sound is a perfect example of their success. Their minds were set on making something different from the ordinary; something powerful, positive, and unique. The bands list some of their influences as August Burns Red, Lamb of God, Nothingface, and Mudvayne. You can certainly hear some of those influences in their music, but Killing The Catalyst has a unique sound that can’t really be compared to any other single band.
The band first made their mark in their own backyard playing any stage they could within the borders of North Carolina. Killing The Catalyst quickly garnered a huge regional fan base with overwhelming support from their local scene. The band started dropping some singles in “Eight to Five”, “Senses Unveiled” and “Song 72”. The band then released a 2 track demo in October of 2012. For the band’s debut full length they enlisted renowned producer Jamie King (Between The Buried And Me, For Today, The Human Abstract) to record their debut album, ‘The Next Chapter’ at The Basement Recording in Winston-Salem, North Carolina which released on April 15, 2014. Jamie King in regards to the album stated “The stuff kicks too much ass to not have the world hear it.” The album itself included all the singles released previously as well as the two demo tracks along with six incredible new kick ass tracks. Jamie couldn’t be more right. The album is full of gut wrenching screams, shredding riffs and thunderous drum beats. How this band has managed to escape anyone’s ears is beyond me. In 2015 the band also played the Winston-Salem, North Carolina stop on The Summer Slaughter Tour. Killing The Catalyst played alongside national touring bands like Arch Enemy, Born Of Osiris, Veil Of Maya, The Acacia Strain, and Cattle Decapitation. It was yet another chance for a wide range of fans to see the band perform and get their name out there. The band since has released on track in February of 2016 titled “Skirmish” it was recorded at Berrier Audio Works by Jon Berrier, Erik Huffman, and Garrett Barefoot. This track is not a far cry from the bands previous album, but you can certainly tell here they have refined their sound. “Skirmish” has this amazing baritone vocal tone along with some super throaty screams that just make the hairs on you neck stand up and that’s before we even get to the incredibly stellar clean chorus lines. It’s impossible to be a fan of hardcore or metalcore and not instantly fall in love with the sound and style that Killing The Catalyst unveils to your ears. The band is also set to release yet another album titled ‘When Chaos Reigns’. No release date has been slated yet but we sure are looking forward to hearing more of what they have to offer.
Killing The Catalyst has been booking shows in and around the Raleigh area, you next chance to see them is on June 23 at The Maywood in Raleigh. They will be playing alongside Black Plague, and fellow North Carolina band Annabel Lee.
Killing The Catalyst is:
Matt Coughlin – Vocals
Buddy Sauls – Guitar
Rhett Hawley – Guitar
Ryan Pyatte – Drums
Will Peck – Bass
