Eskhata



Catamenia is a Finnish black metal band formed in 1995 by Riku Hopeakoski and Mika Tönning in Oulu. They have been associated with Massacre Records since their first full-length album, Halls of Frozen North, which was released in 1998. By 2010, the band had released nine studio albums, one EP, and one DVD. While wolves frequently appear in their album artwork, the band name is derived from a type of bird. The term catamenia also refers to menstruation, a meaning reportedly unknown to the band until a fan brought it to their attention following the release of their debut album. Their first demo, Demo '95, was released during their founding year. A second demo, Winds, followed in 1996 and led to a four-album deal with Massacre Records in 1997. Their debut album was recorded in 1997 at Commusication Studios in Beindersheim, Germany, with producer Gerhard Magin and released the following year. In 1999, they recorded Morning Crimson at Sunlight Studios in Sweden with producer Thomas Skogsberg. The third album, Eternal Winter's Prophecy, was recorded in 2000 at Tico-Tico Studios in Finland with Ahti Kortelainen. Eskhata, their final release under the initial Massacre Records contract, was produced by Mika Pohjola and recorded at SoundMix Studios in Oulu in 2002. The band then extended their contract with the label for three more albums, citing positive collaboration. Personnel changes occurred during the preparation of their fifth album, but the line-up was stabilised in time for its release. The album Chaos Born was recorded at Neo Studio in Oulu with producers Kari Vähäkuopus and Immu Ilmarinen. It was noted for blending melodic and aggressive metal elements. The follow-up, Winternight Tragedies, was recorded at Mastervox Studios with the same producers. During this period, the band experienced further line-up changes, with vocalist Mika Tönning and bassist Timo Lehtinen being replaced by O.J. Mustonen and Mikko Hepo-oja respectively, due to issues related to distance and rehearsal availability. The album featured a raw and aggressive sound, while maintaining melodic foundations. In 2006, Catamenia released Location:COLD, followed later that year by the DVD Bringing the Cold to Poland, which featured a live performance at the Stodola Club in Warsaw. Drummer Veikko Jumisko left the band in early 2007 due to an inability to participate in tours. A planned US tour was postponed until 2008 because of promotional issues, although a brief Canadian tour, titled Brothers of Cold, took place in May 2008. Later that month, vocalist Olli Mustonen departed the band. Although reasons were not officially disclosed, his absence from the Canadian tour was cited as a contributing factor. Ari Nissilä subsequently assumed lead vocal duties. In December 2009, the band began recording their next album, Cavalcade, which was released on 26 February 2010. In September of the same year, several members, including Ari Nissilä, Toni Kansanoja, Mikko Nevanlahti, and Kari Vähäkuopus, left the group. Shortly thereafter, new members joined, including bassist Mikko Hepo-oja, drummer Tony Qvick, and guitarist Sauli Jauhiainen. Later additions included vocalist Juha-Matti Perttunen and keyboardist Jussi Sauvola. Catamenia’s most recent studio album, The Rewritten Chapters, was released on 27 April 2012. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.