Dead Letter Circus - The Catalyst Fire

Good thing my copy of The Catalyst Fire is digital (for the time being) because if it was a physical copy, it would have already been worn out.  No kidding folks, Dead Letter Circus has created a superb blend of ambient guitar work, hard hitting drums, top notch vocals and a bass line that doesn't seem to quit.

From the opening track of "The Cure" to the final track "Kachina", I have been hitting repeat on a constant basis, both at home and at work/gym.  So for those who have not had the chance to check out the album, "The Catalyst Fire" is the sophomore studio album by Australian band Dead Letter Circus.  Below is one of my favourite tracks from the album "The Veil".  I feel this is the best way to show you all what DLC is all about:

Do you feel there's a way

Teach me the song I will scream every word

Argue while we all wait

She's coming round to exact the obvious

(Photo courtesy of Dead Letter Circus' Facebook Page)

Dead Letter Circus lineup is:

Kim Benzie – Vocals | Stewart Hill – Bass | Luke Williams – Drums, Vocals

Tom Skerlj – Guitar, Keyboard and Percussion | Clint Vincent – Guitar

This also marks the first time to feature new band members Tom Skerlj and Clint Vincent..  So how does The Catalyst Fire hold up to it's prequel "This Is The Warning"?

"Most of the next one's going to be a bit of the after-effect: How can you combat things like that? How can small people deceive world bankers? The answer will actually be everyone -- what everyone does within their individual bubble, how we choose to act, and if that will butterfly effect out." -Benzie

The Catalyst Fire was released on August 9th, 2013 via UNFD Records.  The album was produced by Forrester Savell, who has done previous work with Dead Letter Circus, as well as Karnivool, The Butterfly Effect, Birds of Tokyo, Helmet, and more.  Savell only adds to the equation as he is the key component that gives Dead Letter Circus their edge and heaviness without distinguishing themselves as a full blown heavy metal band.



1. The Cure
2. Alone Awake
3. Burning Man
4. Lodestar
5. I Am
6. Say Your Prayers
7. The Veil
8. Insider
9. Lost Without Leaders
10. Stand Apart
11. Kachina

North American Bonus Tracks:

12. I Am (acoustic)
13. Lodestar (acoustic)
14. Wake Up

Like most reviews I have read about the group, they incorporate many different aspects of multiple genres which makes it hard for critics and fans alike to pinpoint their style and structure.  I think this type of pragmatic writing is essential for the band's survival in (what I normally refer to as) a sea of music and bands.  They are one of the few bands that can stand back and reflect with the mentality of 'what can we offer that other bands cannot?'  That in itself is what continually draws me to these guys and why I have been eager to catch them on tour.


(Photo courtesy of Dead Letter Circus' Facebook Page)

Nearly every second of this album, and every individual component of those seconds feel fully developed yet remain natural and emphatic. This quells a common complaint of This Is The Warning, where some songs felt incomplete or simply filled play time. From start to finish, this record proves it is musical aberrant for a modern age, as it fuses together the progressive highlights of an entire genre's lifetime, returning a level of familiarity but taking it farther, not as a culmination of their influences but as a brand new entity with flairs of glorified aesthetics. -Absolute Punk

Below is the first (and only for now) music video/single of the album titled "Lodestar":

I can see through the rise and fall

I know I could make it feel right, but I

If I caught it, just as I reach it's gone

I know this is how it must be, this game, with no answers

there's no answers here

I can hold it for you!

(Photo courtesy of Dead Letter Circus' Facebook Page)

The Catalyst Fire is a standout album in 2013. It has all everything a fan of Dead Letter Circus will hope for and then some. Stewart Hill once again proving he is one of the most in the pocket bassists out there, and Clint Vincent debuting as the band’s lead composer, both retaining the essence of Dead Letter and pushing the band’s sound forward. -Heavy Blog Is Heavy

AFGM recommended track for "The Catalyst Fire" are:

"The Cure" | "Lodestar" | "The Veil" | "Lost Without Leaders"