Kat (band)

Band history

KAT was founded in 1979 by guitarist Piotr Luczyk and drummer Ireneusz Loth. Shortly after they were joined by bassist Tomasz Jaguś and another guitarist, Ryszard Pisarski. They played instrumental music influenced by hard rock bands, mainly Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath. In 1981, during the first edition of the Silesian Rock festival, the band found a singer, Roman Kostrzewski The line-up was filled out by guitarist Wojciech Mrowiec and in 1984 KAT released the debut single "Noce szatana / Ostatni tabor" (Polish for The Nights of Satan / The Last Train). Robert "Lor" Milewski wrote the lyrics of both songs; since then Kostrzewski became the lyricist, incorporating poetry, Polish folklore, and mysticism. The band also toured with Hanoi Rocks.

In 1986 KAT released their debut album, Metal and Hell. A Polish-language version of this full-length was released as a limited album in the same year, with the title was changed to 666. Soon after, Wojciech Mrowiec quit the band. In 1987 KAT performed twice as a support band for Metallica in Katowice's Spodek. This show was documented on KAT's live album 38 Minutes of Life. At that time they also supported Running Wild, Helloween, and Overkill.

After releasing the next full-length album, Oddech wymarłych światów, the band broke up . KAT reformed in 1990 and in 1992 played with TSA and Acid Drinkers at the Jarocin Festival. Two years later, some songs from this show appeared along new ones on a new album, Bastard (1992).

In 1994 in Wisła a new album entitled Ballady was compiled and recorded. It includes KAT's ballads from previous albums, previously unreleased tracks, and two completely new songs. Józef Skrzek was a guest keyboard instrumentalist. In that year, Metal Mind Productions re-released the three first of Kat's albums without the band's permission. Kat sued the company and, after a few years, won the case.

In 1996 and 1997, KAT released the albums Róże miłości najchętniej przyjmują się na grobach and Szydercze zwierciadło. After Jacek Regulski died in a motorcycle accident in 1999, the band split up for three years. They returned in 2002 and toured, again with Luczyk on guitar, and played at Mystic Festival in Hala Ludowa, Wrocław, 2002. During that period they were occasionally supported live by Polish guitarist Valdi Moder.

In 2004 and 2005 KAT had several important changes in its line-up. Firstly, the band fired the drummer, Ireneusz Loth, and then singer and lyricist Roman Kostrzewski. Mariusz Prętkiewicz replaced the former drummer; Jarosław Gronowski joined as a second guitarist (he had played in KAT during the Szydercze zwierciadło tour, since Luczyk was temporarily out of the band), and Henry Beck became the new singer. The new lineup released Mind Cannibals in 2005, the band's second English language album (after the first LP, Metal & Hell). The lineup changes were very controversial, and band's fan base actually split in two, because Roman Kostrzewski and Ireneusz Loth also created their own band (under moniker "KAT & Roman Kostrzewski") and continue to perform since then.

After recording Mind Cannibals, the band went on tour around Europe (playing together with, for example, Six Feet Under), but did not play in Poland, adding to the controversy since Kostrzewski and Loth were at the time very active with their new band). Kat toured Poland in 2012.

Since 2005, KAT went on hiatus, although there are rumours about a possible successor to Mind Cannibals in the Polish press.