Catamenia (band)

Catamenia
Catamenia at Jalometalli 2008, Oulu
Background information
Origin	Oulu, Finland
Genres	Melodic black metal
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Massacre
Associated acts	Beherit, The Black League, Burning Point, Dawn of Relic, End of You, Eternal Tears of Sorrow, Impaled Nazarene, Kalmah, National Napalm Syndicate
Website	www.catamenia.net
Members	Riku Hopeakoski Juha-Matti Perttunen Mikko Hepo-oja Toni Qvick Sauli Jauhiainen Jussi Sauvola
Past members	See: full listing

Catamenia is a Finnish black metal band founded in 1995 by Riku Hopeakoski and Mika Tönning in Oulu. They have been signed to Massacre Records since their first full-length release Halls of Frozen North in 1998. As of 2010, they have released nine albums, one EP, and one DVD. They are known for frequent usage of wolves in their album art. Catamenia means “menstruation.” The band did not know about this until a fan pointed it out to them after the release of their debut album. Catamenia is also a kind of bird.

They released their first demo album in their first active year, simply titled Demo '95. Their second demo, Winds released in 1996, led to a four-album contract with Massacre Records in 1997. Their debut full-length album Halls of Frozen North was recorded in Commusication Studios, Beindersheim, Germany, in 1997 with Gerhard Magin (Crematory, Mystic Circle) and was released in 1998. A year later they recorded their second album, Morning Crimson (1999) in Sweden, at Sunlight Studios with Thomas Skogsberg (Katatonia, Dismember). The band's third album Eternal Winter's Prophecy was recorded in their home country in 2000 at Tico-Tico Studios with Ahti Kortelainen (Kalmah, Eternal Tears of Sorrow, Dawn of Relic). Their last album for Massacre Records was entitled Eskhata, released in 2002, recorded in Oulu, Finland at SoundMix Studios with producer Mika Pohjola (The Black League). After the release and promotion of Eskhata, Catamenia renewed their contract with Massacre Records for three more albums, citing good working relations.