[MUSIC INTERVIEW] CATALYST SYMPHONY – The Light Inside Ep Interview

Glasgow-based symphonic metal band CATALYST SYMPHONY is proud to have released their debut EP “The Light Inside”. The EP – featuring three brand-new tracks – perfectly encapsulates the band’s signature style of high-energy melodic metal, fused with Celtic folk-tinged string quartets and professional mezzo-soprano Wiktoria Wizner’s soaring operatic vocals.

The world’s fastest love song! “Eden” is a tribute and promise to the people in all of our lives who make the world a better place for us. Infectiously catchy, the song’s main riff blends the memorable guitar harmony hooks of melodic metal with bouncy synths and energetic pop-punk style rhythms. All leading to the truly titanic chorus, with strings, guitars and synths all playing counterpoint to a 15-voice choir, spearheaded by Wiktoria’s legendarily powerful delivery.

Songwriter Chris Armstrong: “I didn’t tell my partner that this song is kind of about them until we debuted it. On our 10th anniversary. The line “Truth and Grace” before the second chorus is a rough translation of their name, and I still cherish the smile on their face when they realised I’d slipped that in there. Musically I’m quite proud of how a song that’s so fast and heavy all the way through still has so much contrast. Not always easy to achieve! Like the fast bouncy synth line against the slower guitar harmony, or how the chorus has so many busy background instruments, but Wikki holds the vocals with such length and power.”

Regarding the other two songs, “Nova” is a rousing call to arms for the rights of women, LGBTQ people, and all those who fight tyranny – pulls from metalcore and Japanese power metal and soundtracks. To fully demonstrate the band’s diversity, the final song, “Salvation,” is a more thoughtful progressive piece, laden with softer intimate moments where the talents of multi-instrumentalist Maya MacAdam shine through delicate harp and gorgeous string harmonies, and a triumphant coda displaying Wiktoria’s dazzling vocal virtuosity. 

The EP was funded by Creative Scotland and recorded and produced at Orpheus Studios by Richard Campbell, producer of MetalStorm’s Power Metal album of the year 2022, The Saberlight Chronicles. Richard’s two decades of industry experience and incredible ear for detail elevated the final product far beyond the band’s wildest dreams, particularly his excellent capabilities with drum and vocal recording.

This week Dave Griffiths caught up with Catalyst Symphony to chat about the EP. You can listen to the interview right here: