Kat (band)

Kat is a Polish heavy metal band formed in 1979 in Katowice, Poland. They have been accused, mainly by the Polish media, of promoting Satanism.^[1]
In Polish "kat" means executioner. KAT is one of the most important bands in Polish heavy metal overall, and is also mentioned as one of the main precursors of thrash and even black metal genres in this country.^[2] KAT's most famous album is Oddech wymarłych światów (The Breath of Extinct Worlds), considered an opus of Polish heavy metal.^[2]
The band is best known for tracks "Czas zemsty" (Time of revenge), "Łza dla cieniów minionych" (A tear for the shadows gone), "Wyrocznia" (Oracle) and "Noce Szatana " (The nights of Satan).

Band history

KAT was founded in 1979 by guitarist Piotr Luczyk and drummer Ireneusz Loth. Shortly after they were joined by bassist Tomasz Jaguś and another guitarist, Ryszard Pisarski. They played instrumental music influenced by hard rock bands, mainly Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath. In 1981, during the first edition of the Silesian Rock festival, the band found a singer, Roman Kostrzewski. The line-up was filled out by guitarist Wojciech Mrowiec and in 1984 KAT released the debut single "Noce szatana / Ostatni tabor" (Polish for The Nights of Satan / The Last Train). Robert "Lor" Milewski wrote the lyrics of both songs; since then Kostrzewski became the lyricist, incorporating poetry, Polish folklore, and mysticism. The band also toured with Hanoi Rocks.

In 1985 KAT released their debut album, Metal & Hell. A Polish-language version of this full-length was released as a limited album in the same year, with the title was changed to 666. Soon after, Wojciech Mrowiec quit the band. In 1987 KAT performed twice as a support band for Metallica in Katowice's Spodek. This show was documented on KAT's live album 38 Minutes of Life. At that time they also supported Running Wild, Helloween, and Overkill.

After releasing the next full-length album, Oddech wymarłych światów, the band broke up. KAT reformed in 1990 and in 1992 played with TSA and Acid Drinkers at the Jarocin Festival. Two years later, some songs from this show appeared along new ones on a new album, Bastard (1992).

In 1994 in Wisła a new album entitled Ballady was compiled and recorded. It includes KAT's ballads from previous albums, previously unreleased tracks, and two completely new songs. Józef Skrzek was a guest keyboard instrumentalist. In that year, Metal Mind Productions re-released the three first of Kat's albums without the band's permission. Kat sued the company and, after a few years, won the case.^[3]

In 1996 and 1997, KAT released the albums Róże miłości najchętniej przyjmują się na grobach and Szydercze zwierciadło. After Jacek Regulski died in a motorcycle accident in 1999, the band split up for three years. They returned in 2002 and toured, again with Luczyk on guitar, and played at Mystic Festival in Hala Ludowa, Wrocław, 2002. During that period they were occasionally supported live by Polish guitarist Valdi Moder.

In 2004 and 2005 KAT had several important changes in its line-up. Firstly, the band fired the drummer, Ireneusz Loth, and then singer and lyricist Roman Kostrzewski. Mariusz Prętkiewicz replaced the former drummer; Jarosław Gronowski joined as a second guitarist (he had played in KAT during the Szydercze zwierciadło tour, since Luczyk was temporariliy out of the band), and Henry Beck became the new singer. The new lineup released Mind Cannibals in 2005, the band's second English language album (after the first LP, Metal & Hell). The lineup changes were very controversial, and band's fan base actually split in two, because Roman Kostrzewski and Ireneusz Loth also created their own band (under moniker "KAT & Roman Kostrzewski") and continue to perform since then.^[4]

After recording Mind Cannibals, the band went on tour around Europe (playing together with, for example, Six Feet Under), but did not play in Poland, adding to the controversy since Kostrzewski and Loth were at the time very active with their new band). Kat toured Poland in 2012.

Since 2005, KAT went on hiatus, although there are rumours about a possible successor to Mind Cannibals in the Polish press.^[5]

Band members

Current members

• Piotr Luczyk – guitar (1979–1997, 2002–present)
• Krzysztof Oset – bass guitar, vocals (1989–present)
• Jarek Gronowski – guitar (2004–present)
• Mariusz Prętkiewicz – drums (2004–present)
• Henry Beck – vocals (2005–present)

Former members

• Ireneusz Loth – drums (1979–2004)
• Ryszard Pisarski – guitar (1981)
• Wojciech Mrowiec – guitar (1981–1986)
• Tomasz Jaguś – bass guitar (1981–1988)
• Roman Kostrzewski – vocals (1981–2004)
• Krzysztof Stasiak – bass guitar (1988–1989)
• Jacek Regulski – guitar (1988–1999)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

• Metal and Hell (1985)
• 666 (1986)
• Oddech wymarłych światów (The Breath of Extinct Worlds) (1988)
• Bastard (1992)
• Ballady (Ballads) (1994)
• Róże miłości najchętniej przyjmują się na grobach (Roses of Love Thrive Most Eagerly on Graves (1996)
• Szydercze zwierciadło (Slanderous Mirror) (1997)
• Mind Cannibals (2005)

Live albums

• 38 Minutes of Life (1987)
• Jarocin - Live (1994)
• Somewhere in Poland (2004)

Singles

• "Ostatni tabor/Noce szatana" (The Last Train / The Nights of Satan, 1984)
• "Metal And Hell" (1986) - fan club release
• "Time of Revenge/Czas Zemsty" (1986)
• "Róże miłości najchętniej przyjmują się na grobach" (Roses of Love Thrive Most Eagerly on Graves, 1996)

DVDs

• Somewhere in Poland 2003 (2004)

Other

• Czarne zastępy: W hołdzie KAT (Black Hordes: A Tribute to KAT, 1998) - a tribute to KAT album
• Rarities (2013) - a compilation of old records which weren't published before.

Notes

References

• "Band history". KAT - official website. Archived from the original on 2006-01-06. Retrieved 2006-05-06. 
• Sharpe-Young, Garry; Draven, Mike (2007-08-07). "KAT Biography". Rockdetector. Retrieved 2008-03-10.  Cite uses deprecated parameters (help)

External links

• Kat – official website
• Kat & Roman Kostrzewski – official website of reactivated band with Roman Kostrzewski
• Kat at the 1986 Jarocin Festival