Died In Bloom By Catharsis: Heavy, Melodic Album Resonates With Listeners

Written by: Annie Schlottman Live photo credit: Billy Collier/Through It All Photography

I’m not sure how I initially became familiar with the band Catharsis.  It could be a combination of things, such as social media algorithms, following other bands they’re connected to, and so on. There are so many different ways to discover bands and music, and it seems like I find something that intrigues me almost daily.  Catharsis is an example of this. I was drawn to them right away. The band just released a brand-new, full-length album, Died In Bloom, November 28th, and it is tremendous. 

Catharsis (a.k.a. Catharsis RVA) is a five-piece metalcore band formed and based in Richmond, Virginia.  Band members include:  Chris Propst (vocals); Thomas "Tee" Bryson (guitar); Kam Kyles (guitar); Devin Caldwell (bass); and Zach Brown (drums). 

The band started in early 2022, with guys who wanted to play music getting connected through a Facebook post.  The original idea was getting together occasionally to play some covers for fun. When they tried out a few originals, they thought maybe there could be something more to it.  Everything kind of snowballed from there.

Catharsis has had some member changes over the years, but is now settling in with the current lineup as they continue to grow as a band.  From the early demos, to the songs on their first EP released last year, Chasing Echoes, and now their brand new 10-track album, Died In Bloom, the band’s sound continues to evolve in a way that keeps the members excited about what they’re creating.

Chris Propst

The band chose the name Catharsis because it perfectly captures why they make music. The definition of catharsis is “the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions”.  Like it is for many people, music is a powerful outlet for the band members to process life’s full spectrum of emotions.  Their songs explore very heavy themes such as grief, depression, addiction, loss, and anger.  Ultimately, the band’s hope is that their music offers listeners a sense of relief when confronting these difficult things in their own lives.

The Catharsis songwriting process is dynamic, and shifts from song to song.  Overall it’s highly collaborative.  It often begins with a core idea by a band member – a riff, a drum beat, or a melody.  The band then works together to explore and expand upon that initial idea.  Much of the instrumental creation happens in the studio alongside the band’s producer, Mikey Canoy.  That’s when they exchange ideas until a strong direction for the song emerges. Lyrics are also a team effort. They focus on keeping the themes relatable, ensuring that the band members as well as their listeners can deeply connect with the message.

Tee Bryson

One thing that is very important for any band is finding an amazing team to work with.  Catharsis has definitely done that with Mikey Canoy and Kris Crummett.  Mikey is their producer and he helps bring their vision for their music to life.  The band shared, ““Mikey is the best. We got lucky to start working with him early on in our journey, and he has very much used his experience to make our music the best it can be. We can write all we want, but when he adds in his insight and production elements during the writing process, it takes the songs to a whole new level.”

Mastering is done by the very well-respected and super-talented Kris Crummett. He has worked with phenomenal bands such as Dance Gavin Dance, Currents, Crown The Empire, Issues, Fame On Fire, and The Devil Wears Prada, among many others.  The band told me, “We are incredibly honored and humbled to have had Kris Crummett master our latest album.  Getting the opportunity to work with him on our music is a huge privilege.”

Zach Brown

Catharsis vocalist Chris Propst is the main guy behind the band’s music videos.  I always think it’s so cool when bands do things in-house.  It gives them full control of their own creativity. When I asked the band about this, they shared that Chris has been their videographer since the very beginning, starting with the video for “Chasing Echoes”.  Initially, this was a way to save money while also ensuring they had content to promote their music. 

Since then, it has developed into a genuine passion for Chris, leading to the creation of his own business, Broken Focus Visuals.  Through this venture, he now offers affordable music videos and videography services to other local bands. 

Devin Caldwell

Catharsis has also received help on a few of their videos from photographer Lauren Tribble, as well as various family members and friends at their shows using phones and GoPros.

The newest Catharsis video, for the song “While You Sleep”, features footage of the band performing live as well as behind the scenes in the studio.  It’s a lot of fun and perfectly captures the personality of the band.

As I mentioned earlier in this story, Catharsis writes songs about heavy topics that are meaningful to them, but also resonate with their listeners.  They shared with me, “We write about what hurts, what makes us angry, sad, afraid.  Whatever we need at the time to get out of our heads and deal with all the heavy things. What better way than with heavy music to go along with it?”

The band thinks anyone can relate to their music in one way or another, whether it’s one word, a phrase, a whole song, or the entirety of their work.  Above all, they want their listeners to feel something – even if it’s just banging their heads along with the beat of the music.

When I first heard the new Catharsis album, Died In Bloom, I was really impressed.  I listened to the entire album multiple times as soon as it came out.  The music is heavy with killer breakdowns, yet melodic as well.  The harsh vocals are powerful, while the clean vocals transport me to my metalcore happy place.  This is the kind of music you can get lost in and listen to for hours.

One of the tracks on the album, “While You Sleep”, features Marissa Resmini playing violin, which adds a lovely element to the song.  “Between A Dream And Eternity” features Randall Sykes, vocalist of another Richmond metalcore band, Seasons, and it's a wonderful collaboration between friends. If harsh vocals are your thing, then "Through The Eyes" is the song for you.  The closing track on the album, “Dying Light”, starts out softly as a ballad, but gets heavier as the song progresses. Each song on the Died In Bloom album is so unique, it takes you on a musical journey that you wish would never end.

Kam Kyles

2026 will be an exciting year for Catharsis as the band will be full steam ahead promoting their Died In Bloom album. They admit they missed some opportunities for some shows they would have loved to be a part of this year because they were so focused on getting the album done.  Heading into the new year, they look forward to getting out and performing live as much as possible.

There will also be new videos in the works for more songs off the album, and there might even be more new music later on in the year.  Stay tuned to the band’s socials and website for announcements about shows, videos, and new music.

You can follow Catharsis on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and the band's website.