The Cartographer Interview with Dan Gorman (Guitars) and Jay Roberts (Vocals)

"This is the end of an era,” states The Cartographer’s vocalist and frontman Jay Roberts. That’s how he and the rest of the Derby based metal force view their debut album, 'The Collapse of a Bitter End'. The quintet - composed of Roberts, guitarists Dan Gorman and Josh Pearson, bassist Tom Broadhead and drummer Josh Woodhouse - have endured both internal and external turmoil to reach this point.

The Cartographer has carved out a space that’s uniquely theirs in the UK heavy music underground. With ten years and multiple EP releases firmly under their belts, their expansion into the next level has always felt imminent but has been consistently stunted by the unexpected. Band members have come and gone, the pandemic brought the whole metal underground to a complete halt, they’ve individually had moments where life has had to take the wheel and priorities have changed, but now their momentum has shifted. Bloodstock Festival 2025 felt like the moment it all clicked into place. The band that took to that stage was confident, driven and intimidatingly fierce; exactly what this album demonstrates.

'The Collapse of a Bitter End' serves as a metaphorical bookend to a tumultuous period of their career. It’s a collection of material that the band formed amidst line-up changes and personal upheaval, each track representing a different fractured piece. Be it the personnel involved or the pain infused into the songwriting, there’s one thing that unifies them all; bittersweetness.

The album began to take its shape following the departure of long-standing founding member James Harrison, ultimately inspiring the album title. Some of his last works with the band appear on the album, sculpted into something that represents the current line-up. “Finishing the record was a challenge,” explains Gorman, “as we really had to work together to make the songs into something that retains James’ character but still sounds like the five of us.” Broadhead adds, “We’ve really opened up creatively and become more collaborative, which has made everything feel fresh and exciting.”_

I got to sit down with Dan Gorman (Guitars) and Jay Roberts (Vocals) where we tal;ked about the recording process for the bands debut album, 'The Collapse of The Bitter End', what the music scene was like in Derby and so much more!

Avalible on all streaming platforms.

Check out The Cartographer here: https://www.instagram.com/thecartographer_uk/
Track Played, 'Griefworn', ©️ all rights reserved The Cartographer

Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast.
Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘

The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/