“The vibes are so strong and positive that it’s hard to contain them” – interview with Catamenia

In July, after years of silence, Finnish band Catamenia will return to the stage at Kaaos Festival in Vaasa. Kaaoszine caught up with the band to hear their thoughts on the comeback, what plans they have in store, and even former vocalist Mika Tönning shared his feelings.

Hello, Catamenia! Who’s answering our questions and how has your year started?

The questions are being answered by Mikko, Riku, and Toni. Hello to the Kaaoszine crew and huge thanks for your message. The year 2025 has kicked off with a bang in the Cata camp, and now we can honestly say that there’s finally enough light at the end of the tunnel to hurt your eyes. It’s been damn fun at rehearsals lately, and things are starting to click again.

The band has been dormant for several years, but this year you’re planning to step back into the spotlight. Why do you feel now is the right time, and have you been planning this return for a while?

Mikko: Yeah, several years ago we decided to step back from the stage, more or less “forced” by various health issues. But at the same time, we started working on new material. We bounced ideas around and tried to get things rolling a few times, but things didn’t exactly go according to plan.

Toni: That “forced” break included, for example, back problems for me. And before I had recovered from that, I had shoulder surgery — and the rehab didn’t go as planned either. Recovery dragged on, and at one point, it was looking like my playing days might be over.

Riku: Around the same time, I had to have surgery on my right elbow, followed by a long recovery. Then COVID came knocking and messed up our plans even more. After that, I ended up back on the injured list — this time with a torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder. So that’s how the past few years have flown by… until finally last year, we managed to get back into the rehearsal space to get the feel for it again.

Mikko: Yeah, we finally got back to rehearsals toward the end of 2024, but even that didn’t go quite as planned. After those sessions, we found ourselves without a singer. That night we hit the sauna, had some drinks, and started wondering what the hell we should do next. We decided together that sitting in a sauna and drinking wouldn’t solve much, so we turned the page and started looking at what could be done. Around the same time, we got a message from you guys about a new festival happening in summer 2025, and apparently someone had mentioned us. You asked if we’d be interested in playing — and for us, that was a perfect fit. The sauna was heating up again, and the drinks were chilling once more.

We also had a bit of extra work to do since we were still missing a singer. As for the singer’s departure, there’s no drama or anything — we’re all on good terms. We also agreed as a group not to go into further detail about it, even if people are curious. Life changes, and we have to move on — and we are moving forward.

How are you feeling about the comeback right now, and what are you looking forward to the most?

Mikko, Riku, Toni: The vibes are so strong and positive that it’s hard to contain them. There’s definitely a bit of extra excitement, especially with the lineup changes that have come along with this comeback.

What lineup will Catamenia be returning with?

Mikko: Catamenia‘s current lineup includes guitarists Riku Hopeakoski and Sauli Jauhiainen, Toni Qvick is handling the drums, Jussi Sauvola commands the keyboards, and I’m taking care of the bass — plus whatever else is left over or that no one else wants to do. Then there’s the matter of the vocalist, which was the missing piece for the band at the end of 2024. We realized pretty quickly that it would be unlikely to find a new permanent vocalist before the July festival, so we thought: what could we do? We ended up deciding to ask a certain “someone” if he’d be interested in doing a fill-in gig this summer — and that’s how Mika Tönning, who is also known as one of Catamenia’s founders, will be returning as vocalist for the summer show.

Mika, what was your first reaction when you were asked to perform with Catamenia again?

Mika: My first thought was that, above all, it’s great to hear that Catamenia is becoming active again after many years, because the band has been around for over three decades and I’m sure many people have been waiting for its return to the Finnish metal scene. When I was asked to be part of this project, my thoughts were initially a bit mixed, as I haven’t really been in contact with these guys much over the years — just the occasional phone call or bumping into each other by chance. But after we talked more about it, I really got excited about the idea. After all, Catamenia was a big part of my life for a long time, and this kind of “return to roots” event could be a really great experience for all of us — and for the fans as well.

Catamenia has been a part of the Finnish metal scene for a long time. How do you feel the band has evolved over the years, and what has kept the flame alive?

Mikko: That’s a tough question. Over the years, we’ve probably evolved more as a group than as individuals. The team has really bonded over time, and when the chemistry is there, it makes playing and having fun together so much easier.

Mikko, Riku, and Toni together: What really keeps the flame burning is the fans. Year after year, they keep sending us messages, asking how we’re doing, inquiring about a new album, and so on. It’s just such a damn good feeling to play for fans like that — we truly tip our hats to them for sticking with us and supporting us all these years.

Can we expect new music from the band in the near future? If so, can you reveal anything about the themes or the sound?

Riku: New music is being written and worked on constantly. When the fans and the world will actually get to hear it — that we can’t say for sure just yet. But the direction we’re heading is actually a bit of a throwback in Catamenia’s history. In the new songs, we’re returning to the sound of the early days, but trying to do it with style — and of course with new hooks. Still, the goal is that when people hear it, they’ll go: “Wait a minute… that’s Catamenia,” or at least something that sounds like it.

You’ll be hitting the stage at Kaaos Festival in Vaasa this summer. What can people expect from the show?

Mikko: Well, since the original vocalist will be joining us for the summer gig, we’ve included some older material in the setlist — and maybe, just maybe, there’ll be songs played that either have never been performed live or only very rarely. What the final set will include remains to be seen. We’ll jam together in the rehearsal space, go with the flow, and see what feels right.

And Mika, how are you feeling about the upcoming gig?

Mika: I’m really looking forward to it because, honestly, I haven’t properly seen the guys in years. Now we get to reminisce a bit and play together again after a long time. The setlist looks interesting especially since it includes many old songs I’ve sung hundreds of times — but also some newer ones that I’ll have to put extra effort into as I rehearse. It’ll be exciting to see what kind of show we end up putting on!

What are the band’s future plans at this point?

Mikko, Riku, Toni: Once the vocalist situation is sorted out, working on a new album is clearly the next mission. Of course, gigs are always gigs — we want to keep playing live and really put effort into those too, as long as everything starts running smoothly again.

Mika, do you have other projects currently active or planned?

Mika: Right now, I have just one active band, Deimhal, which I also founded. Our style is symphonic black metal, and I’m joined by old friends who were also once part of Catamenia. We’ve released two digital EPs and played our first gig this spring, so I’ve now returned to the stage after more than two decades. We’re currently focusing on writing new tracks for our debut full-length album, which we hope to finish within the year. So yeah — I know how I’ll be spending my free time: rehearsing for the Catamenia summer show and also trying to compose songs for Deimhal’s album.

Any final words you’d like to share with your fans and Kaaoszine readers?

Mikko, Riku, Toni: You can never thank the fans and Kaaoszine readers enough — but we’ll try anyway! We’re beyond excited to finally return to the stage with Catamenia after such a long time, and we really hope as many fans as possible can make it. We know some fans have been wishing for years that Mika would return, even if just for a few songs — so now is their chance. And as a final note: a huge thank-you to all the fans who’ve supported and encouraged us through the quiet years and tough times. Massive respect and gratitude to you — the gentlemen thank you and bow deeply.