History & Biography Based out of Oulo and formed in 1993, Catamenia's second release was a tape called Winds. That melodic metal tape was adequate to convince Massacre Records and a deal was signed. Alex Krull of Atrocity joined the band in the studio and helped pen the German song Winternacht.
Sir Luttinen and Heidi Riihinen left in the autumn of 2001. At the same time, the band signed with Massacre Records for three more albums.
The band recorded its fifth album, ChaosBorn, in Neo Studio in Oulo, Finland with producer Immu Ilmarinen (Afterworld, Sentenced, Embraze, Dorotha, etc.) beginning in January, 2003. Tonning was asked to leave before the recording of Winternight Tragedies. The group recorded a live DVD on the 24th of August at the Stodola Club in Poland during its opening slot for Obituary. The material, entitled Bringing The Cold To Poland, was released in November and was available in standard DVD and DVD+CD limited editions. The band’s latest singer, Olli Mustonen, suffered a throat injury and was temporarily substituted with Antti Haapsamo of Mors Subita. Tero Nevala unexpectedly quit in Russia in the midst of a European tour in the autumn of 2006. The group announced a new drummer called Mikko Nevanlahti just in time for the band’s tour with Ancient Rites in the summer of 2007. The band’s projected tour of the USA for 2008 fell through due to logistical problems in late 2007. The band and singer Olli-Jukka Mustonen parted ways after the man failed to show up for the band’s Canadian tour. Guitarist Ari Nissilä took over the vocal slot permanently after fronting the band in Canada. The band released a new album, VIII - The Time Unchained, on October 24th through Massacre Records. Catamenia would release a new album, called Cavalcade, on February 26th, 2010 through Massacre Records. The album was recorded and mixed by Kari Vähäkuopus at Mastervox Studios in Finland and was produced by the band.
Catamenia imploded in October of 2010. Ari Nissilä, Toni Kansanoja, Kari Vähäkuopus and drummer Mikko Nevanlahti left the band to concentrate on their own bands, business and projects. Former bassist Mikko Hepo-oja, of the Winternight Tragedies, era and drummer Tony Qvick and guitarist Sauli Jauhiainen joined the act. More line-up changes in Catamenia came in 2011: the band recruited a new keyboardist called Jussi Sauvola from Silent Threnody and Darkcrowned. The band would enter Mastervox Studio in Finland in September, 2011 to re-record several older songs for a compilation album, due for early 2012. The album was rumoured to include guest appearances by the band's previous vocalists Ari Nissilä, Mika Tönning and Olli Mustonen. Former Catamenia musicians Ari Nissilä and Toni Kansanoja joined with Teemu Hautamäki (Charon), Lauri Tuohimaa (Charon and Embraze) and Jussi Ontero (Burning Point and Ghost Machinery) in a new Oulu, Finland-based metal band called Devilsent. Catamenia would release The Rewritten Chapters on April 27th through Massacre Records. The compilation, which was recorded in the autumn of 2011 at Mastervox Studio in Oulu, Finland with Kari Vähäkuopus, features re-recorded versions of old songs from Catamenia's previous albums. Self-cover versions were it for the band that went on hold.
The band was supposedly a going concern still and even announced several concerts in Spain for 2020, which were cancelled owing to the pandemic. Finally, drummer Toni Qvick was undergoing wrist and shoulder therapy and surgery to alleviate pain and aggravation in 2023. The band was promising new music.
Reviews CATAMENIA - HALLS OF FROZEN NORTH - MASSACRE
With a band and album name such as these, song titles like Into Infernal Dreams Of Winterland and a melancholy collage for a cover my hope for introduction to a new heavy band quickly climbed aboard the ship of hope. It was less than a minute into the album opener though that at the first sighting of a wave of synthesizers my ship of hope set sail never to return to these shores again. What the above-mentioned qualities, the amazing depth and variety of vocalist Mika Tonning and a transparent production achieve, keyboardist Heidi Riihinen manages to negate. This could have become the son of Sentenced's North From Here. Instead Halls Of Frozen North is little more than a vessel gone astray, adrift in the waters of a thousand lakes. - Ali "The Metallian"
CATAMENIA - BRINGING THE COLD TO POLAND (DVD) - METAL MIND 
The band may have been misinformed about the Polish winters but Finland is of course colder musically too. The band themselves play an odd combination of energetic riffing and atmospheric, keyboard accompanied, for lack of a better term, black metal. Perhaps the featured cover of Satyricon’s Fuel For Hatred is apt here but one is tempted to think more of the likes of Sentenced and Amorphis. Besides also covering WASP’s I Wanna Be Somebody the band have skipped their debut, Halls Of Frozen North, altogether and play an additional ten songs from 1999’s Morning Crimson to the present. The bonus material included are two recording sessions from the Location: Cold album, a video clip for Tuhat Vuotta and audio versions of their 1995 and 1996 demos. - Anna Tergel
Interviews
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