When most folks think of New England, thoughts of bucolic landscapes, elite institutions and lefty politics abound.
Not for local black metal purveyors Katahdin.
“New England is home to ancient mountains and wild beasts,” says singer and lead guitarist Eric Struth. “It’s home of the nor’easter and deep, dark and bitter winters.”
It’s the latter view of the region that Katahdin—Struth, along with guitarist Kyle Quintin and drummer Anthony Douaihy—draws upon for its spiritual and lyrical inspiration.
Struth expounds upon the group’s inspirations via email: “Before the European conquest thick forests stretched endlessly across these rocky lands,” he writes. “The hardened inhabitants worshiped ancient spirits and braved brutal winters. Following ‘colonization’ New England was the birthplace of the American genocide. When the lands were sufficiently cleansed in the eyes of these new settlers they violently rejected their distant monarch.”
The band’s Facebook page goes further: “We intend to invoke the unrelenting gloom that once eclipsed this land through armor-piercing blasts, consistently ruthless thrashing, and utterly depressing tales of its past.”
The trio’s moniker itself comes from a New England landmark: Maine’s tallest mountain.
“Katahdin roughly translates into ‘the highest place’ and is the home of the great spirit in Penobscot mythology,” explains Struth.
Struth met Quintin a half decade ago while playing guitar in the now-defunct Grotesquery. Quintin was drumming for Archaic Decapitator and Engraved, both of which played a number of gigs with Struth’s outfit. Following Grotesquery’s dissolution, Struth ran into Quintin at a show in Connecticut.
“In a fit of utter inebriation, I told Kyle I wanted to start a black metal band,” Struth recalls. “He agreed, but said he wanted to play guitar. I was both shocked and wary of what might happen. A drummer—playing guitar? But to my delight, not only can he play guitar, he can write some killer riffs.”
After months of intensive searching, the duo met up with drummer Anthony Douaihy and, in the summer of 2009, the trio recorded a demo and began playing shows.
Struth sees good things happening in the way of local metal these days, citing an increasingly rich and vibrant scene.
“Out here on New England`s western front we have powerhouses such as Ipsissimus and Black Pyramid laying the groundwork for subsequent waves of local metal, as well as promising up and coming acts such as Archaic Decapitator, Krakatoa, Engraved and Lich King,” he says.
He also names In Human Form, Nachzehrer, Deathamphetamine, Sarcomancy, Vaettir, Blood of the Gods, and Blessed Offal as part of a strong roster of metal acts from around the region.
Katahdin self-released its first full-length album, Pamola, almost a year ago. It was recorded by Catamount Sound, Struth’s mobile recording and live sound company. There are currently a handful of physical copies still available, and metal fans can also download the tunes from the group’s Bandcamp site.
The trio is currently writing and recording new material, and hopes to expand its influence with “increasingly distant shows,” with a possible short four- or five-show tour soon—during the dark, cold winter months, of course.”
Katahdin can be found online at www.facebook.com/katahdinmetal and at katahdin.bandcamp.com.
