So I’m willing to forgive the fellas for all of those words they just kinda threw together here. Like, sure, it is a complete and, with a little patience, coherent statement, but it kinda reminds me of corporate lingo in the way that it uses so many additional and unnecessary words just to say “Waking Nightmares.” That’s it! That’s all they had to say. When I go to drop a deuce, I don’t say I’m “Ejecting the Spent Remains of Otherwise Masticated and Digested Foreign Substance.” I took a shit.

Anyway, you’re not here for the autism you wanna know if this album is good or not. Right.

At this point, it might be fair to assume Katatonia certainly doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone, but the recent bombshell departure of Anders Nystrom suddenly sees the band, Jonas Renske especially, under a new and unexpected microscope. I also did opine that 2023’s Sky Void of Stars was one of the best and most complete efforts the band had put together in quite some time – certainly not far removed from the darker, more goth-leaning sort of melodic rock/metal this era of Katatonia has settled into as of late, but a much more focused and memorable version of it for sure.

The first thing you’ll probably notice with NAEOTWS is that, perhaps not actually that shockingly, the departure of Nystrom seems fairly negligible. Certainly, this is owed in large to the prevailing notion that Renske has pretty much been the captain at the helm of Katatonia for a bit now. All the hallmarks are here – the startling and off-putting sudden start to the album on opener “Thrice” which, once again, somehow caught me off guard and ill-prepared for the band to get right down to business. It is however, another in a long-running streak of killer album openers, and showcases the band’s more progressive leanings in stellar order, with clever, evolving riff work from new guitarists Nico Elgstrand and Sebastian Svalland. Granted, it’s fair to wonder how much input either had into the riffs or songwriting but, either way, the signature Katatonia tone and timing is all instantly recognizable. You could remove Renske’s vocals from the track altogether and there’s still be no question who recorded it.

A big part of that “Katatonia sound” at this point is also unquestionably the drumming of Daniel Moilanen, now having been with the band for nearly a decade and having established a style all his own that goes such a long way to setting the tone of each record he’s been a part of. His ability to carry the pace on tracks like “Wind of No Change,” “Lilac” and “Warden” where good stretches are left to him to carry the load is impressive and necessary to the entire picture Renske is painting. I point out these three in particular as they are real standouts on the album, the first having such an immense presence with chanted backup vocals and sturdy, heavy riffing that all come together to feel like I’ve stumbled into some kind of cult ritual where, I have a sneaking suspicion they’ll be “borrowing” some of my blood. “Warden” features one of the album’s catchiest choruses that will find appeal with metalheads and goths alike, (once again) brilliantly bridging the gap between the two in a way it seems only Katatonia is this capable of.

And really, for better or worse (depending on your perspective) that whole “this is obviously Katatonia” vibe is prevalent through the entire album. The guitars, using whatever effect it is they’re using on on “The Light Which I Bleed,” are unique and obvious to this band alone. The pacing of the album, the tone and ebbs and flows, I can’t really say any of it is unpredictable. For me, this is not a complaint. Much like my love for bands like Amorphis and Children of Bodom and Mors Principium Est, you’re likely never going to catch me complaining about getting more of a sound I love. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a band finding their lane, especially if it’s so unique to them, and sticking with it so long as they’re still keeping the songs engaging – and Katatonia certainly have done that again here on (insert ridiculous name here).

So if you’re wondering what life after Nystrom sounds like for Katatonia, the truth is, it sounds a whole heck of a lot like it has for getting on the past couple decades. If it wasn’t clear before, this is now Jonas Renske’s ship to steer. For those of us who’ve been on board, the seas are steady and clear. If you’ve been looking for a reason to jump ship, grab a life jacket and take a nose dive, I guess. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

And on Sky Void of Stars, as I’m sure you’ve probably assumed at this point, Katatonia has done it again, this time mixing both strategies. Renske’s voice is the first thing you immediately hear as you press play, followed shortly by a surprisingly chunky, heavy riff and pounding drums that slap you across the face before you’ve even had a second to sit back and settle into Sky Void of Stars.  STOP DOING THIS. I’M GONNA HAVE A HEART ATTACK.

The difference this time around, perhaps, is that not only does “Austerity” get off to an unsettlingly hot start, but the energy is maintained throughout the track to create what is, far and away, the band’s most urgent and focused opening to a record they’ve had in some time. Even “Forsaker,” as heavy as that opening riff was, settled into that familiar Katatonia pit despair pretty quickly. Led by Daniel Moilanen’s instantly recognizable, unique rhythms and some really inspired riffing and solos from Anders Nyström and Roger Öjersson, the band storms ahead and delivers one of their strongest tracks in recent memory, utilizing the catchiness we all know Katatonia is capable of, but adding a bit more bite to the overall tone, adding a little more meat to the bone than I think I was really expecting.

But where the band might bring the energy levels back down to the mean on prior efforts, second track “Colossal Shade” instead squashes those expectations – hitting first with a somewhat uncharacteristically cock-sure, strutting riff that hits with more bravado than you might have imagined the band would deploy, and after presenting listeners with an huge earworm of a chorus, the band doubles down and goes super heavy – unleashing a crushing, doomy breakdown layered with trademark Katatonia dissonance and atmosphere that makes it as complex and intricate as it is earth-shaking. This really was not the experience I’d prepared for in my head leading up to Sky Void of Stars, but gosh dang if I’m not loving the band’s newfound vigor!

But before anyone gets the wrong idea that the band might be losing its identity, Katatonia still know where their bread and butter lies, and while the more spirited performance is certainly grabbing my attention, it’s the band’s indelible ability to create melodies that stick with you long after putting the headphones down that carries the day. “Opaline,” once again made stronger by Moilanen’s brilliant choices behind the kit, features a hook that has been swimming around at the forefront of my mind since first listen, and the vocal performances on tracks like “Author” and “No Beacon to Illuminate our Fall” continue to prove Renske’s brilliant understanding of how to use his own voice which, on it’s own is wonderful, but is made so much better through his use of clever, staccato vocal lines that make them all the more interesting and dynamic. And the band is still utilizing that trademark, haunting keyboard tone that, to anyone who knows the band at all, already knows what I’m talking about. It continues to weave itself into the fabric of Katatonia‘s sound like a warm blanket that should give longtime fans that sense of comfort and familiarity, even when the band’s pulse is resting a little higher than per usual.

With winter truly settling in, I figured Sky Void of Stars may be unleashed into the world at the perfect time – and that’s still true! The emotional lows and melancholic feelings so closely associated with the band are still rightfully on full display, but this time Katatonia are delivering an album I’m pretty certain I’ll be spinning long after the snow and ice thaws. Sky Void of Stars is, put simply, the most complete and thoroughly enjoyable record the band have released since probably Viva Emptiness two decades ago. It’s beautifully paced, never lingering too long on the lows before you’re hit with another shot of emotionally charged adrenaline. It’s not rewriting the book on the sounds and tones you’d associate with modern Katatonia, it just showcases a sense of confidence and balance that recent albums just haven’t quite hit the mark on.

It’s early in the year, I know. And I know well enough that every January, I hear a record that I think will be a “best of” candidate at the end of the year, only to have it overshadowed by a slew of releases as the year goes on. But Sky Void of Stars, right now, just feels special, and if this is indeed another example of me getting too hyped too quickly, then I truly can’t wait to see what else is on deck in 2023, because this is one hell of an effort by a band that doesn’t really have anything to prove at this point.

Being that I am not a loyalist, I am going to do my best to be objective and not compare new and old Katatonia. This should be easy since I haven’t heard their entire discography. In fact, my only real experience with them is from their previous album The Fall of Hearts. It seems there are many fans who love the newer direction the band have taken, then of course, there are the many who despise it and love the earlier works (we metalheads are frequently not fond of change). Neither of those approaches will cloud my judgment.

Let’s be clear right from the start. If you weren’t already aware, the metal here is in the attitude, not the execution. I mentioned The Fall of Hearts in my last paragraph. If you’ve heard that record, I must say you basically already know what to expect. The first track, “Heart Set To Divide,” doesn’t take long to get going, nor to let you know where it’s going. It takes about five seconds for the remarkable vocals of Jonas Renkse to kick in. Once the rest of the instrumentals really kick in, we’re treated to what can be very easily compared to latter day Opeth, except this track has a main hook, doesn’t meander for 10 minutes, and actually goes somewhere (yeah, I said it).

Track 2, “Behind The Blood,” kicks off with a solo that has a lot of swagger before the main verse. After that, another solo takes over, then back into the verse. There’s an incredible hook, which really shows off Jonas’ pipes again. This is my favorite track on the album by far and is dangerously close to “song of the year” territory. After hearing it a couple times, it got lodged in my brain.

“The Winter Of Our Passing” is the next track I wish to mention as it has a seemingly out of nowhere “fuck” and is a standout because of it. When I heard it the first time, I said out loud to myself; “What the…?” Well, you know. I had to rewind to make sure I heard it correctly because it seemed so out of place. The more I listened, though, I feel it’s impactful. Of course, there are a great number of bands (some even in their names) who liberally throw out the old “f bomb,” but if used frequently, it seems to just attempt to make up for a lack of variety in the lyricist’s vocabulary. That is not the case here.

I want to finally make mention of the closing number on the album, “Untrodden.” The intro is about 15 seconds of piano, then into the verse. The chorus is stellar and so is the guitar solo. When listening, I imagine myself taking a drive at night during the summer with the moonroof open. It’s a fitting end to the proceedings.

When it comes to this album, reviews seem to be on the side of a grand proclamation of a “masterpiece” or that it’s lackluster. As with most grand proclamations, the truth lies much closer to the center. There are fantastic moments and this is a definitely a mood album. It doesn’t work for me in the gym. I hesitate to call it “low energy,” but it’s also not going to make you want to punch walls or move mountains. I do enjoy individual tracks throughout, but they sound quite similar. City Burials is the sound of a confident band doing what they choose. It has been described in the metal circle as “progressive rock” or “post rock.” I think it tends to fall a little closer to the “goth rock” category. Before reading this review, I’m sure you already had a stance on Katatonia, likely knew whether you would like this album or not, and my words have probably not swayed you. I do recommend giving this album a chance to grow on you. After the first few listens, I was ready to bash it, then never return. However, I grew fond of it after repeated listens, letting it work its way into my brain.

However, I’m still not sold on every single track, together as an album, despite multiple standouts. Those standouts don’t make up for the rest of the songs that just blend into the scenery. While City Burials certainly has merit, the most value, in my mind, is adding the songs to your playlist and enjoying them when they inevitably come up in your shuffle.

That’s not to say that Dead End Kings heralds another period in Katatonia‘s career, but I think it does build on the successes and new developments from Night is the New Day while also rectifying its mistakes. NitND made my top 10 in 2010, but only barely. Each album since Last Fair Deal Gone Down has added more lush texture to Katatonia‘s palette, but NitND really took that richness to a new level. Songs like “Onward into Battle,” “The Longest Year” or the Opeth-inspired extravagance of “Idle Blood” swirled with velvet fogs of skittering beats, tinkling keyboards and swooning strings. The layered effect was at once enveloping and ethereal, almost barely held together if not for Jonas’ haunting vocal lines or the counterweight of Nystrom’s crushing chords. And yet, there were a lot of ungainly moments as well. The monolithic hammer blows that opened “Forsaker” were successful because the rest of the song featured lovely melodies and a compelling chorus, but most of the album’s second half (basically from “Liberation” through “Inheritance”) did not. Choruses, when they offered a hook, were awkwardly paired with meandering and colorless verses. Despite all of that added richness, Night is the New Day tried so hard to be both crushing and melancholy that I think it forgot to also be enjoyable.

And that’s where Dead End Kings is a far better experience. It takes the delicate web of instrumentation, the fine-tuned dynamics and the unorthodox melody choices put forward on Night, and marries it all to songs that flow, that seduce, that transport and soothe. Sure, it’s largely the same structures and pacing – susurrant, airy verses followed by insistent and cathartic choruses. There are still heavy, distorted and lumbering guitars on some tracks like “The Parting,” “Buildings” or album closer “Dead End Letters,” but these only jar you from the album’s soft reverie because they’re meant to be heavy.

The rest is subdued and gorgeous, and even if it’s still absolutely miserable music, it’s a delicious and dreamy sort of misery, content to idly color on its wrists instead of cutting. Lovely tracks like “Hypnone,” “Undo You,” “Ambitions” and album standout “The Racing Heart” may be emotionally naked, but they’re clothed in layers of instrumentation, evoking a mood that’s both spare and sensuous. “Lethean” has a more urgent, rocking gait (and organs, my favorite), while “The One You are Looking For is Not Here” expands the band’s palette by inviting Silje Wergeland, the new vocalist for The Gathering, to duet with Jonas. Makes you wonder why we haven’t had more female vocals on Katatonia albums before.

I have to admit, Dead End Kings didn’t grab me at first. Before I had learned the songs and fallen in love with some of the melodies, it all sounded a bit familiar, as if the band were merely treading water. And yet the water was so warm, that day after day, I kept coming back. A few dozen more listens, and this may edge out The Great Cold Distance as my second favorite release of post-Brave Murder Day Katatonia (with Viva Emptiness still holding the top spot). Misery never sounded so good.

The “New Night Over Europe” tour is Katatonia’s first tour in support of their eighth studio album, Night is the New Day, which released last month on Peaceville Records. The new record debuted in the US at #35 on the Billboard Indie Chart, doubling the first week sales of their highly acclaimed 2006 release, The Great Cold Distance.

Head over to the Katatonia mini-site, www.NightIsTheNewDay.com to see the brand new music video for “Day and then the Shade”. Another track off Night is the New Day, “Forsaker”, can be streamed on the band’s official MySpace page (www.myspace.com/katatonia).

“New Night Over Europe” Tour 2010…

Mar 3, 2010 – Hamburg, Germany – Logo

Mar 4, 2010 – Cologne, Germany – Luxor

Mar 5, 2010 – Nijmegen, Netherlands – Doornroosje

Mar 6, 2010 – Amstelveen, Netherlands – P60

Mar 7, 2010 – Vosselaar, Belgium – Biebop

Mar 9, 2010 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Academy 3

Mar 10, 2010 – Nottingham, UK – Rock City Basement

Mar 11, 2010 – London, UK – Garage

Mar 12, 2010 – Prestatyn, Wales, UK – Hammerfest II

Mar 13, 2010 – Cardiff, UK – Barfly

Mar 14, 2010 – Wolverhampton, UK – Little Civic

Mar 15, 2010 – Luxemburg, Luxemburg – Kulturfabrik

Mar 16, 2010 – Paris, France – Noveau Casino

Mar 17, 2010 – Niort, France – Camij

Mar 18, 2010 – Barcelona, Spain – Apolo 2

Mar 19, 2010 – Madrid, Spain – Ramdall

Mar 22, 2010 – Lyon, France – CCO Villeurbanne

Mar 23, 2010 – Solothurn, Switzerland – Kofmehl

Mar 24, 2010 – Milan, Italy – Alcatraz

Mar 25, 2010 – Rome, Italy – Alpheus

Mar 26, 2010 – Cervia, Italy – Rockplanet

Mar 27, 2010 – Ljublana, Slovenia – Gala Hala

Mar 28, 2010 – Wien, Austria – Szene

Mar 29, 2010 – Budapest, Hungary – Dürer Kert

Mar 30, 2010 – Prague, Czech – Exit Chmelnice

Mar 31, 2010 – Krakow, Poland – Rotunda

Apr 1, 2010 – Warsaw, Poland – Stodola

Apr 2, 2010 – Berlin, Germany – Lido

Apr 3, 2010 – Bochum, Germany – Zeche

Apr 4, 2010 – Leipzig, Germany – Conne Island

Apr 5, 2010 – Frankfurt, Germany – Batschkapp

Apr 6, 2010 – Munich, Germany – Backstage

The band has always leaned heavily towards an accessible, dare I say mainstream, sound that sits very well with both extreme metal fans and the rock world. Night is the New Day displays an evenly balanced mixture of heaviness, forward thinking, and melancholy, with some slight electronic moments. The sound on this record is mature and complete with a towering gray aura.

“Forsaker,” opens this CD with an excellent single that bears a dark, heavy atmosphere, accompanied by the bands signature somber verses. The drums hit hard through this song with some scattered timing that brandishes Katatonia’s will to experiment.

“The Longest Year,” brings the despondency. There are moments on this record that are not for the weak hearted. The beginning minute of this song is something I have rewound over and over again. It is beautiful. Along with the angelic guitar playing Jonas Renskse’s voice is a huge part of why Katatonia sound so deep.

From the beginning, Katatonia and Opeth have always played off each other and have had similarities along the way within their music. The association is even more prominent on Night is the New Day (“Idle Blood,” “Departer”) in my opinion. As Opeth progressed with their sound over the years it seems Katatonia has been on the same path. The progressive nature of bands like Porcupine Tree, have become staples in both Opeth and Katatonia’s music and this record is sprinkled throughout with these similarities.

The CD ends with “Departer,” an unbelievably dejected piece that comes close to bringing tears. Krister Linder (Enter the Hunt) gives a beautiful performance as a guest vocalist on the second verse of the song and helps make this an excellent closer. Progressive tinges of Opeth and Porcupine Tree are evident halfway through this song as it breaks for an instrumental interlude.

A book could be written (literally) about Katatonia’s career and achievements. They have stood directly in the face of metal and forced an unconventional sound that has sparked numerous outgrowths over the years. They have never really disappointed and if they keep this momentum up, it is only a matter of time before a larger audience finds out about one of metals best kept secrets. If you are a fan of the band then this CD is a no-brainer. If you have never heard Katatonia before this is an excellent place to start. Night is the New Day will be high upon many year end lists including my own.

Night is the New Day is Katatonia’s eighth studio album, and their first release since the highly acclaimed, The Great Cold Distance, in 2006.  The new record was released in the US this week, on November 10th, via Peaceville Records.

Personally, I can’t get into live footage that much. It bores me unless it’s an obscure band I’ve never seen. Even then I find myself only viewing them a time or two. However, I set back with a few beers last evening and truly enjoyed the eleven-song set Katatonia played at the Summerbreeze Open Air last year in Germany. Katatonia have such a unique atmosphere that surrounds their music anyway, to see it performed only adds to the mood these guys portray. The sound quality is amazing. I could hear each individual instrument perfectly. The guitars are very high in the mix and I was actually stunned at how well Fredrik Norrman and Anders Nystrom weave their dissonant guitar melodies. Anders Nystrom is an awe-inspiring musician. I love the music even more now that I have seen him at work.

Lead vocalist Jonas Renske sounds just as good and I was once again given a glimpse of how important of a role Anders plays in the band. He sings a lot more backing vocals than are heard on disc. It was quite fascinating watching Jonas and Anders work their vocals. This is what makes a good DVD. If it can make the band look good then its done its job, but when you notice other qualities about that band that you didn’t hear previously on disc, that’s capturing something special.

The band plays tracks from their recently acclaimed new release The Great Cold Distance. Songs like “Soil Song” and “July” are some of my personal favorites. “July” was performed amazingly. They also go into their back catalogue and play songs from The Discouraged Ones and Tonight’s Decision. Sorry old school doomers, Jonas is just physically incapable of producing those black/death vocals. However, watching this just proves they still are equally passionate and the music isn’t to far from the old days. They don’t waste much time either. Songs are played back to back without any talking except for thanks here and there.

The CD is just a recorded version of the show. Kind of lame, I would rather have seen behind the scene footage or something. Nothing annoys me more than recorded live discs anyway. At least I can watch it on TV. Riding around listening to it isn’t going to suffice. That’s about the only downfall here. Whether you are into new Katatonia or old, I suggest viewing this DVD. Live Consternation only proves how special of a band Katatonia are and how their music really has progressed further than we ever could have expected.