siLLy puPPy The brainchild of Tamás Kátai,THY CATALFALQUE has been cranking out one amorphously mysterious album after another since 1999 with each release shapeshifting into something completely new and unexpected. While launching the band in the spirit of second black wave metal with the debut release “Sublunary Tragedies,” THY CATALFALQUE quickly broke the mold of sticking to any orthodoxies and instead was steered into a world of its own making. Nearly a quarter of a century later, Kátai is back with THY CATALFALQUE’s 11th release ALFÖLD, Hungarian for “lowlands” and is depicted on the album cover art which happens to be the terrain from where Kátai spawned and developed his most bizarre mix of black metal, progressive rock, experimental electronica and Hungarian folk music.

In recent years THY CATALFALQUE has been very close to jettisoning its black metal roots altogether with more focus on the Hungarian folk melodies and progressive rock gently teased into the world of metal through the classic distorting riffing and occasional growling vocals but ALFÖLD opens immediately with a return to the world of black metal with the track “A Csend Hegyei” harkening back to the earliest days of the band’s inception. But of course it wouldn’t be a proper modern THY CATALFALQUE if the album didn’t start to zigzag in various directions creating a bizarre tension between competing factions that somehow walk the tightrope act together and in the end perform a stunning circus act unlike any other in the entire metal-verse. This newest release does so with seeming ease.

At a classic album’s running time of 43 1/2 minutes and 9 tracks, ALFÖLD delivers the perfect THY CATALFALQUE recipe of mixing its black metal bombast with the expect folk music and electronic wizardry. At this point Kátai is a cult hero and has attracted a loyal following as well as the respect of many musicians who admire his work. While still the primary writer as well as guitarist, bassist, keyboardist and vocalist, Kátai has employed the talents of 13 guest musicians for the entire album with another 11 making cameos on only one or two tracks. Even though the black metal elements have always been present, on the last few albums the growly vocals have diminished giving the albums a more folk dominant feel but on ALFÖLD the raspy metal rampage is back in full vengeance. That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of those softer moments with subdued guitars and clean vocals but there is definitely a more upbeat kick ass feel to this album as opposed to anything of recent years.

What amazes me about THY CATALFALQUE is the consistency in creative reworkings of an established sound but always slightly askew so that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s different. Kátai’s oft angular compositional writing skills are laced with comprehensible grooves but the contrapuntal effects of the electronica and vocal parts often sound startlingly off yet somehow complement each other perfectly. There is no sign of THY CATALFALQUE losing any steam with ALFÖLD and in fact it sounds like this collective has gotten a new burst of energy as it creates one of the heaviest and metal sounding albums in years. As with all albums since 2004’s “Tűnő idő tárlat,” the lyrics are entirely in Hungarian which continues to give this band an even stranger alienating sound since Hungarian is not even a Indo-European language with absolutely no similarities to virtually any other language. Another winner for THY CATALFALQUE. Longevity is apparent with this top act.

siLLy puPPy One of Hungary’s greatest gifts to the world of avant-garde metal returns surprisingly soon after releasing its last album “Naiv” in 2020. Yeah, i’m talking about THY CATAFALQUE fronted by the ridiculously creative Tamás Kátai who has consistently found a way to throw the disparate musical genres of black metal, progressive rock, electronica and Hungarian folk music into a simmering cauldron of creativity for over 20 years now and somehow figures out a way to make each album released sound distinct and best of all interesting.

VADAK is the Hungarian word for “wildlings” and also the tenth full-length studio album from THY CATAFALQUE which has been released on the Seasons of the Mist label. Once again Kátai crafts a batch of wild experimental tracks that remain unclassifiable with elements of various metal styles, jazz, pop, prog, folk, techno, electronica and anything else that fits neatly into the scheme of things. While serving as head honcho in chief and musical director as well as playing guitars, bass, synths AND vocals, Kátai includes an amazingly large and diverse group of 16 session musicians that add large numbers of vocal styles, guitars, saxophones, trombones, trumpet, repipes and tons of ethnic instruments such as the Armenian durum, tablas, dumbeks, the riq, violin and cello.

While some of the last albums have been a little parsimonious as far as the metal creds go, VADAK seems to have gotten the memo that the metal fans are getting a little tired of the “other” influences dominating and therefore it seems a greater effort has been made to crank up the heavy guitar riffs, the quickened tempos and all the other more energetic attributes that make metal so freakin’ awesomely cool! But don’t worry non-metal leaning folk, ALL those other elements are still here in great abundance. While THY CATALFALQUE projects are quite diverse, the main emphasis seems to be on focusing on the same ingredients with different proportions. It just so happens that THIS time around the metal got a bit more teaspoons in the overall recipe. OK, maybe we can upgrade to tablespoons!

What’s really amazing is that Kátai has done something seemingly impossible and that is writing his lyrics and singing in his native Hungarian language which by the way NOBODY understands outside of Hungary unless you are in the state department or something! But the beauty of THY CATAFALQUE is that it really doesn’t matter. In fact the compositions are structured in such a way that it actually adds an exotic even alien disconnect while being lured in with familiar rhythms, tones, timbres and musical motifs but just never put together in such a way. In fact i would easily classify Kátai as a musical genius for his prolific output of product that manages to keep each album sounding utterly unique yet connected to the rest of the canon. VADAK is absolutely no exception to this rule and i would even say that i personally prefer this album to the last several ones that have been a little light on the metal aspects.

For anyone interested in the theme (i’m not really), it is about dealing with the fragility that is shared between man and beast with Freudian overtones. OK, whatever, right? I know, i love a good themed concept album and all but when it comes down to it, metal music is about the compositional fortitude and i don’t speak enough Hungarian to understand anything anyway. In fact i don’t understand most of metal lyrics in English due to the vocal styles employed! HA! Another amazing thing is that THY CATAFALQUE albums are almost always over 60 minutes in length which for most artists would leave me cold but somehow Kátai masterfully keeps me enthralled for over an hour’s length of listening time. Now THAT is an accomplishment considering this project has been around for over 20 years. All i can say is that THY CATAFALQUE seems like it is in no danger of sputtering out any time soon. This album may not be the pinnace of its existence but is of equal value to almost every album of its existence.

Kiváló munka és éljen a TE KATAFALVA! Great job and long live THY CATAFALQUE!

siLLy puPPy THY CATALFALQUE is a project that’s been around for quite a while now having formed all the way back in 1998 as a symphonic black metal band and then getting more experimental as time carried on by incorporating more external influences such as electronica and homegrown Hungarian folk music from founder Tamás Kátai’s home nation before relocating to Scotland. The band which has essentially been Kátai and his sidekick guitarist Juhász János then released several albums as a duo up until 2011’s “Rengeteg” when Kátai went it alone with only selected guest musicians for each album thereafter. The rotating cast of guests has made each THY CATALFALQUE album sound quite unique so it’s never predictable as to which elements of music will dominate any particular album.

Early on in 2020, avant-garde metal band THY CATAFALQUE releases its ninth album NAIV. After the interesting changes of the doom metal drenched “Meta” and the overly abundant use of electronica and lack of metal on “Geometria,” NAIV returns with a nice mixture of all the disparate elements that makes THY CATAFALQUE so utterly unique even within the vastly populated universe of modern metal. While long ago drifting away from any sort of black metal orthodoxies, this act has nonetheless never strayed too far from its roots by keeping a finger or two on the pulse of the primordial pools from whence it sprang forth. NAIV doesn’t necessarily jettison the abundance of electronic effects and noises as heard on the previous album but rather returns some of the metal dominant bombast however any fan of this unique band should know by now, track by track, THY CATAFALQUE delivers the unpredictability of a schizophrenic seance.

Once again eschewing genre labels, NAIV like previous albums creates a unique fusion of the Hungarian folk melodies with black metal riffs, electronic atmosphere and also includes some surprising jazzy touches that remind me of bands like Norway’s Shining. Kátai handles the expected vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards and other exotic instruments such as the citera and darbuka while a huge cast of characters joins him for this musical treat. In addition to the excepted bass and drums there are also two guest vocalists with the feminine charm of Martina Veronika Horváth (ex-Niburta, SallyAnne, Nulah) finding its way throughout most of the album. There are many classical instruments such as the cello, viola, violin and even classical guitar as well as many ethnic sounds from a quena flute, out and other Eastern European instruments. On the jazz side of things there are occasional outbursts of saxophone and even a trombone.

Starting out with black metal buzzsaw guitar effects, “A bolyongás ideje” launches NAIV straight into the realms of the metal universe unlike the rather tame predecessor “Geometria” which seemed to lounge in the chill electronica section of the music store for far too long. Despite the heavy bombast of the guitar riffs, the sensual female vocals and folk melodies craft a pacifying folk metal vibe with occasional outbursts of proggy keyboard runs that are straight out of the 70s symphonic prog playbook. While sounding a bit like an 80s AC/DC riff at the beginning, “Tsitsushka” actually takes on a cool atmospheric cloud cover while the guitars clammer away more akin to a caffeinated surf rock band than black metal but it gets even more estranged from the opener with the inclusion of a horn section. “Embersólyom” calms things down quite a bit with dark ambient sounds shrouding a mysterious flute emerging and then breaking into an electro-folk-rock groove which takes on a tango type of rhythmic drive.

“Számtalan színek” continues the ethnic flavors only sounds more like it’s rooted in Balkan gypsy folk only with blistering black metal guitar accompaniments that when dropped out sounds more like a movie soundtrack. In many ways this style of black folk metal reminds me of Greece’s Rotting Christ on some of the newer albums. The violin and viola presence on this one really sets it apart from the other tracks. “A valóság kazamatái” begins with a jittery computer generated sounding keyboard intro before bursting into hefty black metal bombast but it’s accompanied by the folk melodies emerging from the keyboards. When the guitar parts are dropped the folk instruments stand out and the percussive drive begins to sound more like a bigbeat techno album. The layered effects are perfectly mixed and the sounds that come and go add the proper contrast at the exact perfect times.

“Kék madár (Négy kép)” takes the ethnic influences to the most extremes as this one sound like a gypsy wedding somewhere deep in Bosnia but then picks up with a bizarrely contrasting flute run that sounds more like 70s Focus than Jethro Tull along with electronica drumming styles and with no metal guitar sounds to be heard sounds like the project went Opeth on us and abandoned the metal altogether, at least temporarily. Actually they abandoned the rock altogether on this one as the track starts to sound like a heartbeat with flute. Luckily “Napút” brings back the metal heft but trades off with a more techno sound. It then gives the mic to Martina who add the ethnic touches. Nice beefy guitar sounds but at this stage of the game it’s obvious that the metal guitars play a subordinate role to the ethnic and electronic sounds. However just as i say that “Vető” comes along and delivers the heaviest guitar sounds of all with thrashy palm muted beefcakes pounding away while Martina sings her little heart out. It’s a nice contrast between the hyper-masculine and sensual feminine. Beauty and beast of a different name.

“Szélvész” ends the album on a more folk than metal note but the guitar heft does deliver. It’s obvious at this stage of THY CATAFALQUE’s lengthy career that the metal isn’t the most important element of its sound and that it’s all about juxtaposing disparate genres with the Hungarian folk elements being the most prominent. The magic of NAIV is in the production values and how well all these melodies are crafted into nice smorgasbord of sounds. While not substantially different than previous albums, this one seems to have catchier hooks, greater contrast between bombast and sensual touches and is just more satisfying than the lopsided feed of “Geometria” as all the elements unfold in an organic manner and nothing seems forced. Overall THY CATAFALQUE creates the perfect recipe where the gritty metal aspects sit well next to the timeless folk melodies and futuristic electronic and ambient sounds. Although this isn’t primarily a metal album, the last track adds some of the only raspy black metal vocals to be heard. This is a solid album from beginning to end if you dig this sorta thing.

siLLy puPPy THY CATALFALQUE has been going strong now for over 20 years and continues to find new refreshing ways to reinvent itself with each subsequent album but yet retains a distinct avant-garde style that sounds like no other. The project is basically the artistic endeavors of Tamás Kátai (vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass) who has led the project through the decades with an ever-changing cast of guest musicians however János Juhász (guitar, bass) was also considered a full member during his tenure from 1998-2011. The duo formed THY CATAFALQUE in Makó, Hungary but since then the project has moved to Edinburgh, Scotland. The term CATAFALQUE refers to a decorated platform or framework on which a coffin rests in state during a funeral which is the perfect moniker for this unique darkened band that mixes filthy aggressive black metal with industrial and ambient sounds along with healthy doses of homegrown Hungarian folk.

While Kátai has incrementally increased the sophistication of THY CATALFALQUE and thus earning the project the highest plaudits within the world of extreme metal for its sheer intensity and experimentation, the band began more or less as a second wave black metal band with symphonic and orchestral touches much in the vein of early Emperor only with a unique paprika fueled Hungarian twist that included a touch of the avant-garde. This debut album SUBLUNARY TRAGEDIES displays the band at its rawest and primeval with ferocious black metal riffs engaging in breakneck tremolo picking, explosive blastbeat drumming frenzies all drenched in Hungarian folklore and rhapsodies on fire. While the black metal aspects are perhaps the most fiery and frenetic of the project’s lengthy career, the more diverse elements emerge from the extensive use of keyboards that not only provide the darkened frigid atmospheres but also includes industrial heft as well as danceable electronica.

SUBLUNARY TRAGEDIES is a powerhouse of seven tracks that creates the ultimate Jekyll & Hyde musical scenario. On the black metal side, this is frenetic uptempo fury that is unleashed and sounds like a rabid dog on fire much like the first Possessed album however there are slow contemplative atmospheric brooding sessions as well as middle of the road mid-tempo variations. While the atmospheric black metal tones and timbres are fairly standard, the underpinnings of Hungarian folk music that is infused in the musical scales gives an eerie and exotic flair that allows the compositions to feel more epic than say the standard Darkthrone or Immortal albums. The metal is brutal and raw yet the album comes off as if it were a Bartok sort of classical album in many ways. The two aspects are at war with no clear resolution as to which side actually prevails. It is the dance of darkness and light much like the universe above and around. While the metal stampedes like a standard second wave band from Scandinavia, the time signatures and progressive touches take it somewhere else completely.

While THY CATAFALQUE has become world renowned for the exemplary releases that peaked from “Tűnő Idő Tárlat” to “Rengeteg,” these earlier recordings are just as compelling provided you can appreciate the lo-fi DIY efforts of an ambitious avant-garde black metal band during its nascency. While many metalheads either love the lo-fi no nonsense approach or prefer the more polished sounds of a production job, i actually embrace both sides of the equation. Black metal is one of those genres that can sound really outstanding either way and in the case of THY CATAFALQUE i think that these early lo-fi albums resonate just as well as the slicker accomplishments that followed. After all, it’s the compositional skills that really win me over with this band and in that department THY CATAFALQUE hit the ground running with its unique folk fueled orchestral black metal sound. After all is said and done, i find SUBLUNARY TRAGEDIES to be an outstanding slab of experimental black metal that shouldn’t be missed if you have already checked out the later albums.

Warthur Thy Catafalque's Tűnő Idő Tárlat takes the electronic dabbling of the preceding Microcosmos even further, with some sections resembling full-on electronic dance music - but fear not, the Hungarian folk and black metal influences that inform subsequent and previous works by the group are rarely all that far off. The end result is a sort of black metal-via-Nine Inch Nails blend, with the abrasive elements of black metal somehow reconciled with the more catchy end of the industrial music spectrum. Thy Catafalque are juggling an awful lot of different ideas here, and whilst they don't quite bring them all together into a single whole, they come close enough that this is a notable success.