Catacomb Saints

Catacomb Saints was first conceived in the fall of 2010 by guitarist/producer Rich Ackerman. While working on  Avigal's Unbroken album (Green Monster, 2011) he had played several riffs/ideas that didn't fit the scope of the project at hand. Sammy "Shmoulik" Avigal suggested that these riffs would best befit a solo project or a different band. That suggestion lead to the realization that Rich had stockpiled many song ideas over the years that didn't quite fit any of the projects he had worked on, but displayed a continuity among themselves that was uncanny. 

The question then became who would elevate these ideas into full-fledged songs? Rich approached two of his closest friends to help complete this mission: vocalist John Haines and bassist Freddy Villano. With input and insight from these musicians the Catacomb Saints material began to evolve into it's own entity. So much so, that it became more than Rich's solo project. 

The hurdle that took the longest to jump was the task of finding a drummer capable of doing this material justice. Many candidates took a swing, but only one knocked it out of the park: Nate Horton. After Nate began laying grooves down it became obvious that no other drummer could or would have worked as well for Catacomb Saints. Nate's drumming can best be described as "transformative." 

Catacomb Saints of the 16th-19th century were relics used to represent saints of great importance. The Catacomb Saints band serves much the same purpose in the world of Heavy Metal. Their music can best be described as NWOBHM with a modern metal underpinning. They manage what some believe impossible: they give a tip of the hat to the metal gods of yore, and yet retain their own identity.