Catherine Wheel’s “Black Metallic”

Earlier today, as I was leaving work, I ended up in a conversation about bands from the late ’80s-early 90s.  I contributed a few names, which I’ll get into after this post. But one of the acts that came up was the British shoegaze band Catherine Wheel – shoegaze referring to wall-of-sound guitar bands with a tendency to stare downward while performing. 

I first heard “Black Metallic” back in college, driving home at 2am from a friend’s house.  I don’t recall the specifics. But I remember being completely in awe of this particular song, as if it was a change in the paradigm – a revelation of where music could (and did) go next.

Curiously enough, I ended up interviewing them a few times during my music journalism days. And I kept running into them when I was out bar-hopping or clubbing. Super-cool guys. Keep hoping they’ll reunite like many of their peers.

Here’s “Black Metallic” by the Catherine Wheel.

“Black Metallic” from the 1992 album “Ferment.”

And a vintage music video …