Melo death/thrashers Katapult releases third single and video from debut album

Today, Swedish/Swiss melodeath/thrash squad KATAPULT will release "Schädel," the third and final single from their upcoming debut album, Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes set for a November 25th release via Discoraged Records. Sung in German, the number "Schädel'' - meaning ‘skull or ‘headache’ - is an extraordinarily aggressive track pouring scorn on religious extremism, as explicitly illustrated in the single’s accompanying music video.

"Fuck religions and their stupidity," states bassist Felix Bacher, who also wrote the lyrics of the song. "Use your minds and don't let old, dusty books with used-up morals tell you what to believe! Bacher further expresses, "In a world where the values of humanism and secularism are more and more under assault, we feel the need to take a strong stance against religious fanaticism."

Where the Swiss lyricist penned the song second nature as German speaking with a deep indignation in regards to the state of things, the band’s Swedish singer has to work his way around it.

"I have no idea what the fuck I'm singing," informs vocalist Johan Norström. "'Schädel' is a trust fall for me, so don't screw me over, Felix! But yeah, singing in German was definitely a challenge for someone who only took one semester of German in school, and that's what — 25 years ago? Fuck, I'm old."

The music itself came quickly just before the record was being recorded, as guitarist Florian Moritz states on the creation process of the song.

"I wrote this song a week before we entered the studio and I didn't tell anybody in the band about it except Dave, the drummer. He didn't practice the song either and rather just went for it after listening to it two times. It was a nice surprise for the others when we told them we had an extra song, and they needed to learn it fast."

Watch the new KATAPULT video for ‘Schädel - Katapult - Schädel (official video 2022) - YouTube

And stream the single HERE

Born in a backstage area in Sweden in the summer of 2017, KATAPULT is the brainchild of Florian Moritz and Johan Norström. As everyone and their grandmother know, not many bands born in backstage areas survive their infancy, but despite being raised in both Switzerland and Sweden, KATAPULT endured. As time went by, Joel Purificacion was invited to shred some solos on their debut EP, A Fistful of Truth, and being such a good fit, he ended up joining the ranks. Similarly, Felix Bacher and David Stutzer ended up sticking with KATAPULT while being invited to track bass and drums, respectively, during the production of the second EP, Shut the Fuck Up and Press Play.

The upcoming album Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes is a merry-go-round of dark emotions, filled with 13 tracks ranging from blistering rage to immense sorrow, all sprinkled with a layer of “go fuck yourself” attitude. Where tracks like “Comfortably Dumb” deal with the hypocrisy of accepting the meat industry, “21st Century Gladiator Boy” points and laughs at all influencers trying to out-stupid one another, “Litany of Spirals” was written during a sleepless night caused by burnout borderline depression, and “Bränn bilder och minnen” is a giant “Fuck you” to that guy from school who is a proud fucking nazi nowadays. To fuel this record with unusual elans, KATAPULT has utilized the services of a special batch of musicians and their artistry, including vocals, percussion, pedal steel, Hammond, violin, cello, and orchestral arrangement.

For Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes, no less than six videos are in production as KATAPULT continues to have a strong visual presence. This is not just a bold statement as band members Johan and Florian both work professionally as filmmakers. Johan is an experienced editor, colorist, and animator, and Florian is an exceptional director of photography. Keeping in mind that the video for their track “Du brinner ihjäl” received awards for its storytelling and cinematography, Katapult has all the intentions to surpass that video with what comes next.

In the meantime, KATAPULT eagerly awaits their first live performance. The pandemic outbreak and the geographical distance between Switzerland and Sweden have not even allowed all the band members to congregate under one roof.

Pre-order Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes on CD HERE and pre-save digitally HERE

Tracklisting:

1. The End

2. Comfortably Numb

3. The Hands of the Devil

4. Sweetheart Come

5. The Arsonist

6. Nihilism for the Gods

7. Litany of Spirals

8. Invite the Sin

9. Schädel

10. All This Because of Greed

11. 21st Century Gladiator Boy

12. Bränn bilder och minnen (feat Fredrik Lindkvist)

13. Oh God for One More Breath