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By MELISSA WISEMAN
Staff Writer

What do you get when you add a dream, Kevin Shawcross, 5440 and I Mother Earth together?

Give up? You get the rock music from the talented Cathartic.

Kevin Shawcross knew his goals, his dreams and set out to pursue them. Discovering the talents that made Cathartic what it is, he took this dream and shared it with the world through sharing the stage with groups such as 5440 and I Mother Earth.

The Cathartic line up consists of Shawcross with lead vocals and guitar, Trevor Mansey on lead guitar and vocals, Jason Pineau on bass and vocals and Lanny Maskell rockin’ it out on the drums.

Cathartic released its first full length indie album in October 2008, entitled If Atlas Shrugged. The distinctive sounds of guitars and drums filled my room as I sat down to listen to tracks from Cathartic's debut album.

Listing to "Broken Wing" first, I was delighted to hear rock music flow from my speakers. "Broken Wing" seemed to be a slower song with beats that would make you sway for hours. It reminded me of the music we’d listen to at high school dances when I was younger. It brought back many pleasant memories.

I continued on, anxious to hear more and decided on "Mustard Fields" as my next choice. The song surprised me. Instead of the amazing ballad type I was presented before, I was greeted with a melody that reminded me of angry music, almost head banging even.

I really enjoyed the use of guitars in their songs. It is almost as if the guitars are talking to the audience, yelling “listen to us. Come back for more.”

With their debut disc under their belt, Cathartic is off to take the world by storm. With their other tracks, including the rock beats of "Sea Sick" and "Straight Line", these guys will easily gain a devoted fan base.

“Can you hear me anymore? So walk out that open door ...”

... And go check out Cathartic. I’m sure you’ll be in for an amazing treat.