Albums hitting in December and early January almost don’t have a chance in the floodwaters of List Season, so Katoaja’s debut record, What We Witness, was already struggling against the tide when it was released just ten days into the new year. It’s a bit of a head scratcher, really, until you consider that maybe they just don’t really give a rip. Maybe they don’t care. Maybe it’s just about the music. That’d sure be nice. It would also be consistent with the indie spirit of a self-release. Maybe they got the album done and just couldn’t wait to get it out there to the world. The way it ought to be? Sure. Why not.
What is clear is that What We Witness is a very good progressive metal album that deserves to be heard outside of Helsinki, Finland, the band’s hometown. As an independent release, though, and like so much popular art these days, it’s currently only available via streaming and has gotten only limited spotlight in the few weeks it’s been out. And, as an earnest champion of underground heavy metal, Last Rites is always ready to sound the horn for new bands and records worthy of accolades, even if it comes behind the great rush. So here’s some words about What We Witness carrying with them the hopes of putting some wind in Katoaja’s sails against the post-list season doldrums.
What We Witness is modern prog metal, which is to say that it has a certain djentiness and emphasizes atmosphere and mood, leaning on modern production to make metal that sounds like it comes from the new millennium. That said, Katoaja avoids many of the common shortcomings of the style by remembering the heavy metal, by prioritizing and celebrating it. That means riffs and high energy and tension generated by thoughtful songwriting.
So much modern prog metal feels like a clever attempt at connecting apparently disparate ideas and ends up a hodgepodge. Katoaja gets clever, for sure, but in service of songs that engage and envelop the willing listener and sometimes even manage to surprise. Sounds, textures, arrangements feel fully and seamlessly integrated so that the album flows effortlessly through the kind of rich and dynamic soundscape expected from progressive music; again, a modern design that honors the old school.
A collection of songs that come together to make a great album often reflect a writing and recording process that centers on a concept or at least a theme. Of course, this is especially true of prog and it is the case with What We Witness, which focuses on themes of anguish at the level of the self and of ourselves, of society. Katoaja’s players make the most of all ten songs across 45 minutes, the complexity of which mirror their subject matter, running a full range of emotions. It’s a tricky business balancing atmosphere with the technical skill at the heart of great prog metal, but these guys nail it, surely a reflection of their time together since meeting as music students some five years ago.
Katoaja also avoid the sounds-like bugaboo which, to be fair, gets into every corner of the music world, but seems to hamstring prog metal bands with a special intensity. There are references to other bands throughout What We Witness, of course, from prog rock and metal, modern and classic, and Katoaja manages a distinct voice nonetheless. This is reflected clearly with just a cursory look around the internet for descriptions of What We Witness. Being an independent release, there’s only a bit out there but in it a wide variety of references from Devin Townsend and Mastodon to Pain of Salvation and, of course, Dream Theater to a slew of newer bands like Múr and The Ocean, and these are all reasonable and true enough. And yet there’s so much more, including the full spectrum avant-garde of Ihsahn’s solo work, most notably in Juho Kiviniemi’s harsh vocals but also in Miko Tekoniemi’s riffing and Unto Luoto’s keyboards; Kiviniemi’s harmonies with bassist Matias Ärrälä recall Buddy Lackey’s vocal work with late Psychotic Waltz and The Shadow Theory, in particular; and there’s strong homage to Norway’s avant legends, Virus, especially in “The Sinking Cathedral.” The range of references conjured by What We Witness is so wide then as to emphasize the uniqueness of Katoaja’s voice even as it rings familiar in whatever sphere of the prog metal world lights up for a particular listener.
It was around this point of 2024 when this writer first got wind of Sgàile’s wonderful Traverse The Bealach. It’s a very different kind of album, but got similarly little recognition (though it got a bit more as the year passed), and it ended up being on quite a few year-end lists. What We Witness seems poised for the same kind of ride. It is a fantastic album that feels as fresh as it does familiar, hitting all the prog metal points a fan could hope for in ways they may not expect and, despite being a true debut, with the strength and poise of a veteran band.
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Katoaja is
Juho Kiviniemi: Vocals
Matias Ärrälä: Bass, Vocals
Miko Tekoniemi: Guitar
Unto Luoto: Keys
Eero Kokkonen: Drums
