So I found this old review of my “Echoes of Repression” CD. I thought I would archive it here. Mike Ventarola, if you are out there anywhere, I would love to hear your articulate review of “Arm Chair Delusions”. Thanks again for this great review.

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Catharsist
“Echoes of Repression”
~reviewed by Mike Ventarola, Starvox (August, 2000)

It is a rare occurrence to be in the company of musical genius, especially in light of today’s studio gadgetry which can make something from nothing at the touch of a button. I contend that Catharsist, a.k.a. Elijah Shepard, falls within the parameters of said genius and will rank among the greats in the halls of music before long. Shepard does not conform to any genre boundaries and by doing so, he releases the wild muse who constantly haunts his psyche to lay down the next refrain of a melody. Despite the harmonious touches his songs convey, there is always a pensive, deeper level beneath the tune. True to the name he has chosen as an artist, he takes the listener on a purge like journey to remove the cobwebs of one’s mind. Catharsist doesn’t just play and sing a song, he becomes the song, pouring his entire being into each note in an effortless fashion. His vocal range and intensity is somewhat akin to Chris Isaak and like Isaak, can utilize understatement to hit the listener over the head with intense poetry and poignancy.

“Echoes of Repression” starts off the disc with mesmerizing notes suffused with gentle percussion. The vocals and guitar work seem to cascade across our nerve fibers to pull us into a reverie. Shepard croons “only another sees what covers your eyes/if we knew what we were looking for- we could move on.” This is a bittersweet song that depicts that thought process of a new born cynicism and disappointment which leads many to the doorway of mid-life disenchantment. Read more »

As no one really knows, I have written hundreds and hundreds of songs over the years. As I spend time to go and actually finish some of these, I have been thinking about revisiting some that I once called complete. Though it means getting out the VS1680 and porting all the tracks into Logic (quite a bit of work), I am resolving today to resurrect a number of songs that I wrote in the late 90s. Most of them are the songs I put on an early release entitled “Echoes of Repression” which I will re-release with these new versions. Some of you may remember that back in those days, I went by the artist name “Catharsist.” I have moved on of course but left quite a bit of material behind. That said, I am thinking of remixing and/or re-recording the following songs:

Echoes of Repression
Shallow
Somehow
Oblivious
We Never Say
Before You Lie
Take My Memories
To Be Making Us Happy
When You’re Ready

Though it was a favorite of many, I think I’ll leave “Sometimes Vain” in the past, as it was just far too ’80s in feel. While “When You’re Ready” was as well, I have plans to do more of a NIN remix style of it.