Mad Company: The Crazy World Of Autocatalytica

Metal has always welcomed eccentrics and mischief-makers, but every now and then a new band ups the ante.

With a bewildering, cross-pollinated sound that makes The Dillinger Escape Plan sound like Nickelback, NYC math-metal crew Autocatalytica are pushing the boundaries so far that they may just fall off the world’s edge.

“I just want to make music that is colourful, dynamic, visceral and fearless,” says vocalist and guitarist Eric Thorfinnson. “I just feel like so much metal lacks personality. Metal bands just take themselves so goddamn seriously! I really try to inject that sense of brutal silliness into our music!”

While the math-metal scene seems to have stayed in the same creative spot for the last 15 years, Autocatalytica’s music exists in its own psychotic realm, wherein jazz-tinged extremity and melodic mazes conjure a disorientating blur of psychedelic noise. The band have also earned themselves a formidable reputation as a truly mind-bending live act.

“It’s all about the sweat with us. Our shows inevitably end up turning into big slippery parties!” says Eric. “I just try to scream my dick off while marvelling at our drummer’s chiselled torso!”

Having just released their self-titled debut, Eric and his crackpot compadres are hoping to outgrow their DIY origins and reach out to anyone with a taste for the wilfully perverse.

“I just wanna take this crazy thing as far as we can,” Eric states. “We’re looking to be on the road again soon. I can’t wait to see what’s around the corner!”

Autocatalytica’s self-titled debut album is available now via Bandcamp

Dom Lawson began his inauspicious career as a music journalist in 1999. He wrote for Kerrang! for seven years, before moving to Metal Hammer and Prog Magazine in 2007. His primary interests are heavy metal, progressive rock, coffee, snooker and despair. He is politically homeless and has an excellent beard.