KATAGORY V...they may be Utah's ONLY prog/power metal band. After an AWESOME display of stage presence, musicianship, and talent, I had the pleasure of meeting this band at CLASSIC METALFEST 3. Words alone cannot describe the sheer energy of this band. So, you're probably asking yourself "...if they're so good, why have I not heard of them?". I asked myself that question too, and I wanted answers......read on and learn all about this band. Here's what bass guitarist/co-founder Dustin "D" Mitchell had to say.....
Interview by Anthony
1.First off, I’d like to thank you Dustin for the opportunity to do this interview. For anyone who has never heard of KATAGORY V, please describe your sound and give a little information about each member.
2.Seeing how you are the co-founder of this band, can you elaborate on where the name KATAGORY V came from? What does this name mean?
We get asked that one quite a bit actually. Unfortunately, the name doesn’t really mean much of anything right now; it’s just our name. The band name came about when we couldn’t come up with anything original or good, and we were consistently at each other’s throats about picking a good name. To make a long story short, 4 out of 5 of the guys liked category 5 as a name, which is the closest to a majority vote we ever got with 100 ideas, but there are a dozen U.S. bands with that name already, so we misspelled it and then everyone agreed to keep it. Again the name doesn’t have a meaning behind it, but we hope in the future it will among metal fans.
3. I hope my memory serves me correctly for this one: I remember seeing your band listed on the lineup for PROGPOWER III. Today, the band is listed for the warm-up party for PROGPOWER IV…what happened? Was KATAGORY V supposed to play at PP III?
Oh no, Glenn (the promoter) didn’t ask us to play PROGPOWER III. I think what you saw was our bands website link with all the other links on the site. The PROGPOWER festival and KATAGORY V have the same web master, so our link ending up on the site probably has something to do with that. Of course it’s right below all the bands links that participated last year and separated only by a space… so I can see how that might be interpreted that way.
4.Speaking of PROGPOWER, how did you manage to get to play this year’s event? Does KATAGORY V have any special plans for this abundant & vast audience?
Well, it’s not the actual festival but the pre-party or “warm up” gig. It’s a long story that started back at PROGPOWER 2.0. Shane DuBose (pre-party promoter for PROGPOWER), who was bassist of in Z-Lot-Z at that time, was hanging out in our hotel room with us, and we we’re talking about the horrible local NU/Alternative metal bands that played the pre-party that year. Now, you have to understand the Pre-party at that time was just a place for everyone to hang out and meet the bands and each other before the festival began, and the bands on stage were just background noise…. literally!
During this discussion at the hotel, my girlfriend made the comment that it would have been better if they at least had bands playing music that was along the same style as the festival at this pre-party. And it basically took off from there. PROGPOWER 3.0’s pre-party was supposed to be Z-Lot-Z, KATAGORY V and MAGISTRAL… but Shane never called us on it, and when I contacted him about it, he could only fit three bands and already promised the slots to these other groups, which cut us out of the loop. He also happened to leave Z-lot-Z and join CEA CERIN, who ended up playing the show along with PERSAPHONES DREAM and MAGISTRAL, so in the end it ended up being a completely different line-up than was originally planned.
These things happen, and it wasn’t a big deal because we wouldn’t have been prepared for it, and we recently lost our guitarist Ryan Taylor. But I consider Shane a good friend and he promised us he would make it up to us by having us play this year’s pre-party… and believe me, last year went over so well, we’re ecstatic to be playing the showcase this year! So now, thanks to Shane, the pre-party has become a successful warm-up show for the festival, much like the Bang Your Head festival has one before it starts, showcasing the best new independent or newly signed bands coming out.
5.Has KATAGORY V always remained a five-piece band? What happened to Ryan Taylor (Guitar)? Why did he depart from the band? How did you find his replacement, Trevor Asire? Do you feel this line-up will remain stable?
Yes, we have always been a five piece. Ryan actually left the band due to personal obligations outside the band. In the end, it was coming down to him either quitting or getting fired. We had seen it coming for months. He was only showing up for one or two rehearsals a month, not practicing his parts, didn’t show any drive to excel and was pissing everyone off because his lack of commitment was holding things back. It fortunately was an amicable parting of the ways, and he still hangs out with us once in a while. We still all consider him part of the family and a good friend. It just didn’t work out for him playing in KATAGORY V.
We found Trevor after looking for over six months. I think it was pure luck. We tried out several guys in the month of November last year. Most of them were quite good, and had the drive, but Trevor had a vibe about him that felt right. We didn’t want to have just any guitar player in the band; we wanted someone who had a personality as well as talent. He’s still getting his feet wet, but it’s safe to say that he’s going to be sticking around for a long time. I anticipate this line-up to be more stable, but you never know any more… life trends to throw a curve ball and things happen, but I feel very good about the way things are right now.
Yes, it was recorded as a four piece. We actually wrote a majority of the songs before Ryan quit, but when he left we knew we weren’t going to be playing live much, so we just jumped head first into finish writing the new album and just started recording shortly after his departure. We decided to hold off on trying to find another guitarist until the album was recorded, or at least the majority of it was. That way we could teach that person the songs rather than try and do both at the same time and slow down the process of getting the new album done.
7.According to your website, your vocalist was recruited into the band, being known as a “…local vocal veteran”. What can you tell us about Lynn? What bands did he perform in? What made him stand out to you from so many other power/prog metal vocalists?
Lynn has been in many local metal/rock bands in the valley, but he seemed to always get in bands that would only go so far and then poop out. Basically, with out him, those bands would probably never made it out of the garage. Hell, I think we wouldn’t have made it this far with out him! He has done everything from power metal, hard rock, glam rock to cover bands… you name it. Unfortunately, all the bands he was in never made a really big mark outside of Utah really, so there not worth mentioning. He was just a very sought after vocalist here in our home town who could sing pretty much whatever was laid in front of him… and this was what we wanted, this is what made him stand out. Almost all the vocalists we looked at were very sub-par, had very little range, no power or originality and we needed someone who did.
The funny thing about Lynn that really makes him unpredictable to work with is that he doesn’t really listen too much of the same music we do. He is a huge fan of IRON MAIDEN and QUEENSRYCH and DIO, and all the 80’s metal/rock bands, but outside of that… he’s kind of in the dark. He more or less is a rock & roll singer who we made into a prog/power metal singer, and he loves it. He’s admitted to me on one occasion that this is the only music that gives him the ability to use the full range of his voice and experiment, and for the first time he can remember, he’s actually excited about playing in a band.
8.How is the metal scene in Utah? Does KATAGORY V play locally with any other power/prog bands, or do you have to travel a great deal to play to an audience?
There is no real metal scene in Utah…or at least one right now that’s big enough to draw a large crowd for local acts. People come out of the woodwork to see national acts, but you can’t get anyone to go to a show for a local metal band if their life depended on it, signed or unsigned. Utah is a paradox; I can’t quite figure it out. We have all become very bitter about the local scene and have actually decided to no longer play shows here right now because no one shows up for them, and the bars/clubs here are impossible to work with, especially If your a metal band that doesn’t play “corporate” shit. Also, the liquor laws are awful and discourage many people from going out to see shows… this is quite possibly another factor.
There is also a huge punk/emo-core scene here and a lot of those bands and musicians in Utah find it hard to believe a band like KATAOGRY V, which plays true metal, can have any measurable success, and do their best to keep it that way by ignoring us. We don’t get any respect of any kind here in Utah… I think that’s what makes it hard for us to come home after playing a show somewhere else.
The only time we ever draw a crowd is if we play out of Utah and/or have been invited by a promoter or booking agency to play a show. The only thing we haven’t had a chance to do yet is get to the east coast and overseas for some shows, but we are hoping to do that in 2004 if our album sales justify it or if the right offers get proposed to us. We have already been invited to play a large festival in Scandinavia next year; we’re just waiting to see if it’s going to be confirmed on their end. If it does, we are hoping to drop into Germany for one or two shows while were over there. A majority of our fans are in Germany, so we really want to get over there for a show. Any show we play out of our home state is the complete opposite from playing in Utah in every aspect.
9.Has the band ever done a full tour of America? Are there plans to? New Jersey has been a GREAT stomping-ground for metal…there’s always the Metal Meltdown. Any chance for an East-Coast appearance? Has KATAGORY V ever been to Europe to tour? Any plans to? Please elaborate.
No, KATAGORY V hasn't made the commitment of doing a full American tour yet. In order for us to do that we would either have to hook up with a larger band
That has an audience or if our album sales in the states were good enough to justify the tour. We're still a very new band, so we'll have to see how things go when the new album comes out. I think playing NJ would be great! If we were invited to play Metal Meltdown and the offer was financially reasonable, we'd defiantly go. Like I had mentioned before, we still need to get to the east coast and over to Europe for some shows, and were hoping to do so very soon.
10.When writing a song, do you start with lyrics, then music, or vice-versa? Which is easier? Where do you draw influences from when writing a song?
We usually always start with the music first, and write the lyrics around what the Song dictates. The Lyrics usually come about with the mood of the song depending on what feel would fit it best. This way seems natural and easier for us. We draw our influences from many areas when writing, but generally stick to the “if we like it, we keep it, if we don't, we throw it out.” We really don't write a song in the effort to what everyone else in the market is doing, we just do what feels right to us, and write things from the perspective of being metal fans ourselves. We like to think of it as “music by metal fans, for metal fans!” Lyrically, we have been writing more about the real life experiences that people can relate to. From the musicians perspective all the way down to the fans perspective. In fact, this is the main reason the new album is called “ A New Breed of Rebellion”, the title track itself will be a song that any true metal fan will relate to. We have a few of the classic Dungeons & Dragons-type songs on the new album like we had on our first one, but we're starting to get away from that because it's not really what were about. Our former guitarist, Ryan, wrote most of the fantasy-type lyrics.
11.Aside from playing in your band, what hobbies do you enjoy? (For anyone who cares, I enjoy watching wrestling, shooting pool, and working on this website) Does KATAGORY V occupy a lot of your time? Where do you see the band 5 years from now?
With having a day job, KATAGORY V takes up a majority of my spare time. If I’m not doing something involving the band, I’m usually doing something related to metal music. Reading magazines, kicking back and listening to a few albums, posting on forums or going onto online chats that are metal related… Heavy metal music pretty much surrounds everything I do in my spare time, it’s my lifeblood!
12.How did you manage to play at this year’s CLASSIC METALFEST? How long did it take you to arrive to Chicago Heights? (It took me 17.5 hours!!) Did you hit any traffic?? A lot of people were complaining about the gridlock on RT 80 and other surrounding highways.
We played this year because Brad (promoter for the CMF) had invited us. I think he felt bad or guilty about our situation last year, because we were invited on such short notice, had a really bad time slot, drove twice as far as any other band playing the festival that year and there was literally no one there when we played, so he gave us a better slot and asked us back again.
17 1/2 hours from Jersey??? That traffic must have REALLY sucked! It took us about 22 hours to get to Chicago non-stop. Traffic was actually amazingly smooth until we were about 10 miles from Chicago, then it turned into an interstate 80 fiasco! I think the most irritating part was that the toll road was only 2 miles ahead of our exit. So once we got through the toll, we sat in traffic for an hour just to get two miles down the road… it was the worst traffic we’ve ever been in yet! I was ready to walk to the hotel from that point!
13.Did you enjoy CMF? Do you feel that you’ve reached more fans because of this metal fest? What did you think of the other bands that performed? Which ones stood out for you?
We had a great time this year! I can only hope we reached more people at this show, from my perspective, it seemed everyone that was in the club was absorbing our music very well. Ben from Nasty Savage even pulled me aside latter that night and had some very kind words to say, so I’m assuming we did all right. Although, I noticed a lot of people had left or were leaving the venue toward the very end of Twelfth Gates set… and all the reviews I’ve read on the festival, it seemed we were the band that got skipped. So hopefully we kicked enough ass to make those party poopers feel guilty! Haha!
Outside of the headlining bands, I think Twelfth Gate was my personal favorite. They had that Chicago metal sound with progressive overtones and a phenomenal singer! Bob Mitchell’s band Vyndykator was also great live, very talented musicians! I think Bob’s mid range vocals were better live than on tape. His live vocals were great, and reminded me a lot of Urban Breed’s vocals from Tad Morose. I think all the bands that performed at the festival were excellent, they had the true metal attitude and sound… it was great, and felt like a big family reunion
14.How can a fan of your band purchase your albums? Do you have US distribution? European distribution? Any plans to release t-shirts or videos? Speaking of videos, has the band ever produced one before?
Our new album “A New Breed of Rebellion” will released through Metal Ages Records, August 26th and will be distributed through Atomic distribution in the US and through Just for Kicks distribution in Europe. We are working on getting some merchandise, especially T-shirts, and will hopefully have those available by the time the album is ready to be released.
We haven’t made any videos yet, but if our new albums’ sales justify it, we will probably to it, but only if it’s done with good quality and taste. The only thing we have in the way of video, is several tapes of live footage, which we will probably edit and use one day down the road, possibly as a cdrom bonus on our next album or something of that nature, we’ll have to see if and when we get down that road, but it’s defiantly in the cards as far as I’m concerned.
15.It seems that KATAGORY V has had better luck in Europe rather than here in the States, in regard to airplay and exposure. What are your thoughts on this? I feel the scene HAS gotten better over the years…what do you think can be done to improve the situation?
This is pretty much what we had expected from the very beginning as far as exposure in the states and overseas. When we released our first album “Present Day” it was a test to see if it would sink or float… well, it didn’t sink, so we knew we had a reason to continue. The European metal fans have a good ear for what they want to hear, and it’s no real secret that Europe is the motherland of true heavy metal…in my opinion anyway. From the very beginning we wanted to target the Euro market, and then move onto the other territories next.
We were actually quite shocked at the high acclaim we received in Europe on the last album, considering it was done on a shoe-string budget, has a very dated and low quality production and the packaging is shit. I think it goes to show that the songs were strong enough on that album to be rewarding for those that bought it, and we thank everyone and anyone that gave it a listen and loved it for what it was worth! We have had some trouble winning over metal fans in the American and Scandinavian market with the last album, but we feel the new album will be the one that attracts more fans in those regions.
I will defiantly agree that the metal scene in the states has gotten better in the last 4-6 years, but I don’t see it ever becoming something largely mainstream again, at least the true metal anyway. I have pondered the very question many, many times about how true metal could be more accessible and acceptable in the current U.S. market, but it seems there are still those corporate fucks out there that have no idea what metal really is, have a stigmata towards it and it’s faithful followers, and will do everything in their power to keep it out of many potential metal fans hands. At this point in time with the high-tech information age, I feel if anyone is fan of true metal, they probably are probably aware of all the new bands out there and all the old ones that are still making great albums. Those that don’t know are either living under a rock, or were never metal fans in the first place.
It’s the youth of today that we have to convert, as they are the most impressionable. Think about it, when was the first time you heard that one true metal band that got you into this stuff and kicked your ass? It more than likely when you were in your pre-teen/teen years right? If this music were able to get into the hands of more young Americans, it would help boost it’s popularity… but again, with corporate metal being shoved down their throat, it’s a very difficult and challenging battle to win them over.
16.Speaking of improving the situation, what are your thoughts on the return of MTV’s “Head-Banger’s Ball”? (Anyone who cares for my opinion can look in RANT & RAVE under the INTERACTIVE section.) It’s amazing how different MTV is here compared with MTV in Europe.
(Laughs!) Wow, you’ve opened Pandora’s box Anthony! Again, it’s that American corporate ego stroking the mighty dollar. MTV’s Head bangers ball is playing it safe as usual and whoever is their program director hasn’t a clue what metal is anymore, or never did in the first place. Taproot? The Used? Chevelle? Give me a fuckin’ break! That’s not metal, and the bands they play don’t claim to be metal or listen metal. It’s just rock & roll, and very shitty rock & roll at that! Do they really think all of us metal fans is that stupid and gullible? I’m actually offended they would pass shit like that off as metal. And this goes for Ozzfest as well, a big corporate sell-out festival… I’m not hurrying out to buy my tickets. I’ve been asked this question a lot, and my answer still hasn’t changed. MTV is all about image, and always has been, and they will take whatever style they can and exploit it to it’s fullest until the money runs out, and then move on the next trend. Music is the last thing they are about anymore. Only in America ladies and gentlemen, only in America….
Other music video stations in Europe, Japan and even Brazil are better at playing true metal bands, but not by much. I’m am told often my many fans from these countries that they do indeed get to see more true metal videos, but they still get a good share of the “American” bombardment. But at least they get to see good, quality bands in regular rotation…we don’t have the luxury in the states.
17.How did you find yourself writing for Appropriate Apocalypse? How long have you been writing for them? Do you feel this is a good outlet for KATAGORY V to reach even MORE of an audience?
18.What do you think of UNSTOPPABLE FORCE? Is there anything you feel it’s lacking, missing, or needs improvement on?
It defiantly has come a long way from what I remember three years ago, that’s for sure! If anything, I think UNSTOPPABLE FORCE needs to get some good hosting and say good-bye to the anglefire pop-up ad monstrosity. And if you want it cheap with lots of server space, let me know and I’ll point you in the right direction for a good hook up! *cough!* metal ages media *cough!* I’m all for hooking a metal brother up!
Seriously though, I think you have it all covered, and to be honest your interviews are your strong point on the website, as I was reading a lot of them myself and you have great questions and keep thing moving really well… and the pictures page of all the bands playing live is absolutely KILLER! I think I was on that part of the website for a few hours checking things out! There is no measure for ANY metal fan that creates something like this on their own time to share with other metal fans and to help educate potential ones, in my opinion, that is the ultimate in dedication of being a fan of the music, so keep it going!
19.If you could tour with ANY band/performer, which/who would it be (or has this happened already)?
Ironically, we’ll be paying the Progpower pre-party, and even though we are not part of the main festival and not sharing the same stage as the bands at the main event, we’ll be their entertainment before that weekend. Rage? Nightwish? Circle II Circle? Symphony X? I don’t know what’s more stressful right now… playing on the same stage WITH the bands that we love and/or grew up listening to or playing FOR them while they kick back beers and hang out as spectators!
20.What is the most memorable thing you can remember about being part of KATAGORY V? Any strange or unusual thing(s) ever happen?
That’s a real tuff one actually. Everything in this bands has been a “the good, the bad, and the ugly” type of experience, and it’s difficult to pinpoint any really good stories worth mentioning. I think this question is best left to our drummer Matt, he has plenty of strange and unusual stories and memories… they’re not about the band really, but they are defiantly strange and unusual just like him! To be honest, the most memorable thing for me is when we started this little metal band nearly four years ago. Looking back on it now, it was such a pipe dream and we didn’t take ourselves seriously at all…and now I look at the band today, and it’s still the same damn band! (laughs!) Everything from the bands first inception until now has been a roller coaster of events that are always going to be memorable for each and every one of us.
21.Thank you, Dustin, for your time in doing this interview. I hope one day, KATAGORY V plays a show in Jersey sometime…we’ll have a beer (or five)!!! Is there anything you wish to add, or something you feel I didn’t include?
Thanks again Anthony for giving us the opportunity to talk about Katagory V! Hopefully we make it out to Jersey soon… and you can bet on having the guys and me drinking a few brews with you if we do! Also, for anyone reading this… Be sure to join the “New Breed of Rebellion” and check out the new Katagory V album coming August 26th on Metal Ages Records!
Cheers!!!
DISCOGRAPHY
Present Day (4 track promo) - 2001
Present Day - 2001
A New Breed of Rebellion - Summer 2003
LINKS
Thank YOU for giving us the opportunity to do this interview! Well, were still quite new in the market so it would be safe to say not many people have heard of us so… I’ll try to keep it short and to the point. KATAGORY V is a U.S, progressive/power metal band based out Salt Lake City, Utah. We’re a quaint five piece, consisting of yours truly on bass and harmony vocals, Curtis Morrell on Guitar, Trevor Asire as our second guitarist, Lynn Allers as the vocalist and our drummer and all around comic, Matt Suiter. Our sound as far as I can describe (being biased of course!) is a combination of the traditional metal styles and progressive influences while keeping things catchy, yet complicated at the same time.
6.On the credits for your latest album, “A New Breed Of Rebellion”, Trevor is not listed as part of the band. Why? Was this album recorded as a four-piece?
Well that all depends really, if we’re talking about our first album “Present Day”, it’s distributed and available through Nightmare Records, as well as The End Records, Metal Ages and a few other quality on-line vendors that specialize in selling metal/rock CD’s. “Present Day” is now out of print, so the copies that are still floating around out there in the market are the ONLY copies out there. If you don’t have it by now, you might want to pick it up, because we are not going to remanufacture anymore and we have no plans of re-releasing it in the future at this time.
I’ve been writing the column for only six or seven months now and it actually came about after doing an interview for the webzine. Adam (Rhavin2112, the Editor), who I meet at Progpower 2.0, approached me about it and I thought it would be great fun to talk about being a “nobody” in the music industry, which is what is all about. An article from a guy in a metal band starting from the ground up and giving my opinions on the scene, and my personal views from my experience…or lack thereof! It’s great fun, and I’m a very close friend with the Editor of the webzine because of this. I think it’s a great outlet for the band, and myself especially, I hope it helps reach another group of metal fans that may not be familiar with our band, and hopefully I don’t scare them off at the same time! (Laughs)
Oh man, there are far too many to name! For me personally it would be everyone from Jag Panzer, Nevermore and Evergrey up to Iron Maiden, Fates Warning and Dream Theater! The list is HUGE!!! We have played shows with metal legends like Omen and recently Meliah Rage, so for us, that’s a really big thing for us. These were bands that we grew up listening to and wanted to emulate, so you can only image what we feel sharing a stage with them. It’s a true honor for us!
\m/
Dustin