As we all know, metal can be a bit unorthodox sometimes. There's Viking metal, pirate metal, and all sorts of weird and wonderful bands. The most 'out there' example of the genre's wackiness we've stumbled across today, however, is Cattera, a "feline four piece" from New York, who are fronted by a cat. Yes, an actual living, breathing, cat, who apparently, has quite the meow.
As detailed on their Bandcamp page, they explain “Hailing from the literal streets of NYC, CATTERA is a feline four-piece fronted by reformed street cat Roope-Shakir, fur baby of Fearless Records product manager Anna Mrzyglocki.”
Cattera - obviously named with a nod to Texan metal heavyweights Pantera - released their first track, Hunger of the Beast, last year.The single obviously references another metal band, Iron Maiden, and their 1982 classic The Number Of The Beast. Instrumentally, Cattera's song is pretty darn heavy, but lightened by the adorable meows of Roope-Shakir, who wails over the mix.
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Don't worry, the world hasn't completely gone mad, Cattera are actually a charity project, launched to raise money for the cat rescue home that the er, front-cat was adopted from.
"100% of the track sales and any additional donations will directly benefit Whiskers-A-GoGo" they write, "the Brooklyn nonprofit volunteer-run cat rescue group that got Roope-Shakir off the streets and into his forever home.”
Owner Mrzyglocki jokes: "I knew Roope-Shakir had star power from the moment he entered my apartment.
"I heard his emotion-filled meows and knew he needed to be the front cat of a metal band. It sparked a passion for A&R I never knew I had. People may think Cattera is just another 'industry plant,' but there's real talent here."
In the YouTube comments underneath the visualiser for Hunger Of The Beast, one user writes "Guitar tone is purr-fect", while another fan says "That's it. They did it. Metal can't get any more perfect", and we simply have to agree.
Listen to Hunger Of The Beast below:
