'ca·thar·sis: A release of emotional tension, as after an overwhelming experience, that restores or refreshes the spirit.' A long, long time ago there were two bands which were both having troubles getting where they wanted to be. Members of the one band, let us call this band Freefall, were having some disagreements among themselves which held them all back from doing what they really wanted. The guitarist of the other, let us call this band NoAttitude, had eventually given up on his band after some differences among the members and especially because he wanted to take another musical path concerning the style. The rest of NoAttitude decided to quit as well and since Freefall was in the next room rehearsing at that particular moment, news travelled fast and Lars (Freefall’s guitarist and vocalist at the time) heard from Sarina (NoAttitude’s ex-singer and songwriter at the time) that she was bandless and open for collaborations or a new band. Beyond Sarina’s expectations, Lars actually took her up on this and soon told her Freefall was quitting and that Michiel (their drummer at the time) was interested in joining a new band. Because Lars and Sarina had collaborated for a while a year before that,there was a mutual trust that the song writing for the band would be off to a good start. Lars’s younger brother Nils had just started to learn playing his bass guitar, without ever having a single lesson to get started. The two brothers would often play together at home and create music which was perfect to use for the new band, so it was only logical that Nils joined the band right away as well. And all this happened somewhere between the end of 2002 and the start of 2003. While Michiel, Nils, Lars and Sarina where already getting started with rehearsals and song writing, they were trying to come up with a good name for the band, especially because they were soon going to do a gig already. The most wide range of possibilities came to mind (red. Cherub, Red Gecko, 24T(two for tea), Sarina and the snails, Fat Frontline etc.), but in the end Catharsis was the best combination of a catchy sound and a meaning that matches the band very well. Catharsis was a term Aristotle used for the purifying effect tragedies have on people according to him, for the audience identifies with the characters and goes through emotional stages without actually experiencing anything more than watching a play. Catharsis wants to make music that people identify with and which will draw them into the emotion of happiness, sadness, anger, love or anything else that comes to mind. Our message to the audience: Let music be your outlet for everything! 'Wouldn’t the world be a much better place if all emotion would lead to (creating or listening to) music instead of violence or other regrettable actions…?'