Thy Catafalque released second new track and video from upcoming album ‘Alföld’

Avant-garde act THY CATAFALQUE is now unveiling the second offering from the upcoming album ‘Alföld‘. The new track “A csend hegyei“, which again comes in the form of a dark-art music video, can be found on the official Season of Mist YouTube channel HERE!

‘Alföld‘ will be released via Season of Mist on June 16, 2023 and pre-orders are available HERE, while the album can be pre-saved HERE.

Mastermind Tamás Kátai comments:

“The title of the song means ‘The Mountains of Silence’ and this is the opening track of the album with the vocals of Lambert Lédeczy from Ahriman and Mörbid Carnage. The song is sombre and dark, something that has been inside me for years and finally released. The video was created by Chad Michael Ward and shot in Sweden.”

The cover artwork for ‘Alföld‘ can be viewed together with the track-list and further album details below.

THY CATAFALQUE‘s humble genius Tamás Kátai abandons any and all prenotions of tradition. Intertwining elements from a vast swath of unrelated genres, from jazz to pop to folk, and everything in between, THY CATAFALQUE masterfully crafts an eclectic sound that breaks down any generic barriers or borders. Following the massive success of 2021’s critically-acclaimed ‘Vadak‘ the entity returns with ‘Alföld‘ another esoteric monument in its already storied catalogue.

Originally, THY CATAFALQUE emerged as a black metal band founded by singer/keyboard player Tamás Kátai with the aid of guitarist/bassist János Juhász. Following their joined debut ‘Sublunary Tragedies‘ (1999), the Hungarians evolved into quite different directions, but steadily gaining more followers in the process through the following albums, ‘Microcosmos‘ (2001) and the self-released ‘Tűnő idő tárlat‘ (2004).

On their fourth full-length, ‘Róka hasa Rádió‘ (2009), THY CATAFALQUE invited Ágnes Tóth from neo-folk outfit THE MOON AND THE NIGHTSPIRIT and Attila Bakos to add their haunting vocals. With fifth album ‘Rengeteg‘ (2011), Tamás Kátai finally went solo with the help of guest musicians that again included Ágnes Tóth and Attila Bakos. Dubbing his eclectic musical amalgamation avant-garde metal, the Hungarian explored new sonic possibilities with ‘Sgùrr‘ (2015). The sixth full-length turned out to be slightly more complex than its successor, ‘Meta‘ (2016), which returned to a more direct approach without losing the steadily growing sonic diversity. In 2018, THY CATAFALQUE continued this path with the release of ‘Geometria‘. THY CATAFALQUE delivered another spectacular musical mosaic with their ninth full-length entitled ‘Naiv‘, inspired by the “Naïve Art” movement.

In 2021, THY CATAFALQUE return with ‘Vadak‘. Meaning “Wildlings” in Hungarian, the album title is a deliberate clue to the exotic and feral essence of ‘Vadak.’ Like seedlings scattered throughout the forest by the mere forces of nature, THY CATAFALQUE‘s imaginative sound grows with an organic sense of whimsy, cultivated within the vast influences of our megacosm. Thematically, ‘Vadak‘ is a foreboding lesson in mortality. Emphasizing the fragility that is shared by man and beast alike, the record explores our Freudian life instincts, in which we inherently fear and run from the ultimate goal of existence: death.

At its core, ‘Alföld‘ expresses the familiar hallmarks that are unique to only THY CATAFALQUE, and yet, it is an unpredictable magnum opus, returning to the raw side of Kátai and his esteemed co-conspirators. The album puts forth an elegance that cannot be matched or rivaled by any musical contemporary, taking fans on an adventure that is rife with excitement, drama, and unbridled craftsmanship.

Recording line-up:
Tamás Kátai – guitar, bass, keyboards, programs, vocals
Martina Veronika Horváth (The Answer Lies In The Black Void, Mansur) – vocals
Lambert Lédeczy (Ahriman, Mörbid Carnage) – vocals
Bálint Bokodi – vocals
Gábor Veres (Watch My Dying) – vocals
Gábor Dudás (Reason) – vocals
Breno Machado – lead guitar
Daniele Belli – acoustic guitar, double bass
Dario Cei – flute
Chris Lyons – violin, viola
Ido Romano – ney
Samuel Chacon – fretless bass
Austris Apenis – French horn

Guest musicians:
Martina Veronika Horváth – Track 4
Lambert Lédeczy – Track 1, 4, 6
Bálint Bokodi – Track 2, 3
Gábor Veres – Track7, 9
Gábor Dudás – Track 6
Breno Machado – Track 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8
Daniele Belli – Track 5
Dario Cei – Track 5
Ido Romano – Track 6
Samuel Chacon – Track 3
Austris Apenis – Track 4, 7

Cover artwork: 
Photography by Orsolya Karancz
Lay-out by Tamás Kátai

THY CATAFALQUE live
28 Apr 23 Bratislava (SK) Majestic Music Club
11 May 23 Budapest (HU) Budapest Park
30 Jun 23 Orfu (HU) Fishing on Orfu Festival