After some EPs and a split, the Danish sludge/doom metal trio Katla are issuing their full-length debut Scandinavian Pain. Bassist/vocalist Theis Thorgersen steps into the Meet The Band spotlight to talk about Katla.
Chad Bowar: Give us a brief history of Katla.
Their Thorgersen: Katla is the dream child of Rasmus, Marc and the old bassist David. It’s born out of the love for heavy extreme music and the desire to breathe a bit of love back into the Danish metal scene. Katla was conjured up on a hillside at the Copenhell festival back in 2017 or 2018 and the band got sort of established just before Covid hit Denmark. But fortunately the band got to play some shows during the lockdown and that kept some of the momentum going until the departure of the original bassist David leading to me joining the band in fall of 2022.
Describe the songwriting process for Scandinavian Pain.
Very effortless and very fruitful. “Taurus” was the first song that we wrote and it really sparked a creative fire in us that started burning pretty powerful from the beginning. All songs started with a riff or a vocal idea or something that was presented in the rehearsal space and blossomed from there. We did a bit of pre-production before going into the studio to make sure that we were as prepared as possible to make the best use of the time we had with Lasse.
What will be your strongest memory of the recording of the album?
The good times that we had while recording the songs and the stress of having to re-record “Taurus” since the label wanted it on the record and it didn’t sound like the rest of the songs sound-wise. So Lasse Ballade had to map out the click tempo changes to make sure we hit the same tempos of the various parts since we had already created the music video for the song. Quite nerve racking and somewhat funny to experience. And then recording the choir for “Castle Of Purity.” That was also a very good memory since we did it on the last day of recording and it was a bunch of good friends who came by the studio.
What was the biggest challenge in its creation?
The aforementioned challenges with recreating the tempos of “Taurus” to make it fit the music video. Other than that it was quite a breeze to make this record.
How would you characterize its style/sound?
Raw and heavy with the energy of a punk or hardcore band with an abundance of love!
What inspired the album title?
The guilt you can sometimes feel by living in a privileged country when there are so many bad things happening in the rest of the world.
What lyrical topics do you cover?
This record takes on more darker themes such as depression, thoughts of suicide, mental heath issues and personal struggles.
How was the video shoot for “Taurus”?
It was great fun! The concept of the video was thought of by Rasmus, our drummer, and was then brought to life by the talent of Louis Gretlund who filmed and edited the whole thing. We had a fun day riding around in the scooters raising hell in a little town on the Danish island called Fyn.
How did you come to sign with Napalm Records?
First we wanted to get some booking powers outside of Denmark and therefore we approached Thorsten Harm from Napalm Events about a possible joint venture. He liked our music and we started working together in the beginning of 2023. In the summer of the same year Thorsten finally got to see a proper Katla live show at which he recorded a short 10 seconds video clip on his phone that he sent to a friend at Napalm Records. The friend liked what he saw and we were introduced to Sebastian from Napalm the day after. We had a great vibe with him from the beginning and we started talking about a potential record deal which ended with us signing at the end of 2023.
What are your goals and expectations for the album?
To spread some love and Satan to the rest of the world and to be able to play a lot of gigs around the globe. We are really excited to see what life this record takes on once it is released. Only time will tell!
It will be released on vinyl. Are you a collector?
I’m a collector in the sense that I enjoy listening to music in a physical format and I really like to purchase vinyl. But I don’t have rare pressings or anything like that. I buy music to be able to listen to it, not to store it on a shelf.
What has been your most memorable Katla live show?
Oh man, there have been many memorable moments! The first thing that pops into my mind is the show we played at the first edition of the festival Dødsgangen (Death Row in English) in 2023. We played just as the sun was setting, in front of a very committed crowd that just showered us with love and smiles. That felt good and was such a beautiful thing to share on that day.
What are your upcoming tour plans?
We should have been on tour right now with 1914. But because some grown ups don’t know how to play nice and act decent, 1914 got their travelling permits revoked days before the tour started. And even though they tried every hail mary they could, it didn’t change a thing and the tour was called off just as we arrived at the first venue of the tour. Our hearts go out to the crew and members of 1914!
What are some of your non-musical interests and hobbies?
Playing Xbox, spending time with my family and nerding out on musical gear on YouTube.
What’s currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Lately I’ve been listening a lot to Richy Mitch and the Coal Miners. The album Subliming is very soothing to listen to. And I spent almost all of 2024 listening to Sierra Ferrell’s Trail of Flowers album. Such a great record!
Anything else you’d like to mention or promote?
Yeah. Be kind to other beings and reach out to somebody you trust or feel comfortable with if you are struggling. It’s not something you need to go through alone!
(interview published March 22, 2025)
Watch Katla – “Taurus” Video
