We Are The Catalyst, Perseverance Review

We Are The Catalyst Hails from the land of the midnight sun, Sweden, and was formed with the intended goal of being a light in the dark for those who need it the most. Since a big part of their time is spent in a world where half of the year is spent in darkness, it´s not odd that their sound is often melancholic in style. The name “We Are The Catalyst” is meant as encouragement to overcome and challenge the darker parts of ourselves and others, to invite the listeners to keep fighting in a rough and dark world, and try to encourage them to be their best selves, even when it might seem hopeless. The members are Cat Fey, Kenny Boufadene, Joni Kaartinen, and Håkan Strind. They spent years touring with their former band, the Modern Metal act One Without (sharing bills with Dead By April, Evergrey, Katatonia, and more, as well as releasing albums on Lifeforce Records and other labels) and have channeled their skills and passion into We Are The Catalyst. We Are The Catalyst are now releasing their album titled Perseverance.

Bottom Line:  Perseverance is a collection of twelve songs that combine Alternative Metal, Pop Metal, and Dark Rock into a unique blend with a strong modern feel. Perseverance is We Are The Catalyst’s fourth album and is filled with both light and darkness, hope and despair, heavy riffs, and poppy choruses. “Set The World On Fire” opens the album with a catchy melody led by Fey with a solid production and a song form that adds different feels, male/female vocals, electronic elements, and a big chorus. “Shallow Ground” offers keyboards, prominent, distorted guitars, and an easy-to-follow lyric and song structure. “Drowning” builds into a heavy groove and riff that Fey’s sensual vocals float over, pulling you into the world that is We Are The Catalyst. “More” combines Pop Metal and Alternative Metal with many attention-grabbing moments. We Are the Catalyst explains: “It’s a song about standing on your own two feet, and to dare to be proud of who you are. After all, you are sometimes stronger alone if the alternative is to lean on people who do not let you reach your full potential and who prefer stagnation.” Overall, Perseverance offers a robust set of songs that have a satisfying evolution both individually and over the course of the album. Strong female vocals supported by a rock-solid band and songwriting that rounds out the edges, becoming a soothing, meditative loop of light in the dark. That’s the short of it!

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