Thy Catafalque, the one-man experimental metal venture of Hungarian Tamás Kátai, are set to return early next year with an impressive ninth full-length album. Naiv is an album inspired by ‘naïve art‘ – a style of visual art known for its simplicity and lack of sophistication. It is commonly produced by those without formal training; a self-confessed reflection on Kátai’s own approach to his craft. Ahead of Naiv‘s January release, a lead single has now also been made available to us in the form of “Szélvész”.

“Szélvész” (“Tempest”, so far as my research and consultation can gather) provides more evidence as to why Kátai prides himself – rightly so – on combining and experimenting with multiple components from a breadth of musical arenas. Having done so since forming Thy Catafalque back in 1998, this latest musical outing looks to be no different – adopting elements from metal, ambient, jazz, and folk among others in an entertaining blend that’s surprisingly comfortable on the ears. Both in music and lyric (again, from what I can glean of my own digging), it’s a powerful track filled with crackling energy. The cry comes, ‘söpörd ki végre a régi világot/éneked ordítsd szabadon’ (‘at last sweep away the old world/scream your song freely’), and such a call to action is felt clearly through both the engaging instrumentation and heartfelt vocal delivery from Gyula Vasvári (of Perihelion).

As far as the rest of Naiv is concerned, this first track sets up anticipation very nicely indeed! Speaking on its construction, Kátai offered insight that he has plenty of hands on deck to ensure a worthwhile listening experience, with 11 friends contributing on plenty of exciting instruments.’ He goes on to say that this first song is ‘kind of a traditional one, an easy, simple piece to start with.’ Details for the rest of the album’s roster are as follows:

Naiv tracklist:

1. A bolyongás ideje
2. Tsitsushka
3. Embersólyom
4. Számtalan színek
5. A valóság kazamatái
6. Kék madár (Négy kép)
7. Napút
8. Vető
9. Szélvész

Until we are graced with Naiv in its entirety, you can pre-order the album here. Naiv will release on vinyl, CD, and digital on January 24 via Season of Mist. You can also check out Thy Catafalque on Facebook, Instagram, and Bandcamp.

Leave a Reply