NIGHT IS THE NEW DAY FOR VINCE TO LEARN ABOUT KATATONIA
Monday, October 12th, 2009 at 10:00am by Vince NeilsteinFor whatever reason, Katatonia is one of those bands that’s always just slipped beneath my radar. By all accounts I should be absolutely gaga about this band, so their impending release of Night Is the New Day (which I just got and will be spinning today) is providing a great excuse for me to go back and do some Katatonia edu-ma-cation. Here’s the video for “My Twin” from their 2006 release The Great Cold Distance; cool song, cool video.
What are your favorite Katatonia albums and songs?
-VN
The album Brave Murder Day when they had Mike from Opeth on vox. Great stuff.
Best album by far.
The last 4 efforts have been very good.
I never liked their pre-Viva Emptiness stuff too much, it was a little too melodramatic, gawdy, and cheesy (maybe their old growly stuff excluded).
The album that first got me WAY into them was Viva Emptiness. This album is absolutely phenomenal. Dark without being cheesy, and very psychedelic and borderline progressive. For the limited production abilities they had back then, they do a really good job of making some really cool/unique sounds.
The Great Cold Distance was a great album as well, but to me they lost something after Viva Emptiness. The album is more metal, and probably more progressive, but less psychedelic. I find myself getting bored with the album at times because it lacks some of the little extra stuff that really made Viva Emptiness great.
The new Katatonia song (Forsaker) is absolutely phenomenal. They kept all the heavy of TGCD, but added back the pychedelia of VE. A listen to their album preview (available at http://www.nightisthenewday.com) seems to point towards the rest of the album being equally amazing.
Also, it was through Katatonia that I discovered Opeth, my favorite band, so I’m eternally grateful for that. Katatonia truly is an amazing band. They’ve come a long long way to finally find the sound that they’ve achieved today. They put on a great show too, so if you ever get a chance, don’t miss it.
You should write for MetalSucks. Not only are you completely correct in all that you’ve said about Katatonia CDs (yeah, yeah, subjectivity, yadda yadda), but damn was that clearly written!
On a Monday morning, you’ve blown my socks off, sir.
I’ve actually thought about starting my own music blog before. My only holdup is I have no idea what’s entailed in running one :) If they ever offered me a job I’d take it in a heartbeat!
My absolute favorite is Tonight`s Decision….
My two cents…
^this
My favorite album is Viva Emptiness. Katatonia rule.
Agreed. This album is amazing
I find it pretty funny how the few great bands that this site posts about seem to always “slip under the radar” of the person posting.
Anyways, Katatonia is one of my favorites, and I enjoy each of their albums immensely. I don’t think I could pick a favorite.
The album Discouraged Ones doesn’t get enough credit either. “Saw You Drown” and “I Break” are two fucking phenomenal songs. Still, it’s all about Brave Murder Day.
Like Austin said, Discouraged Ones doesn’t get enough credit. My personal favorite is “Last Fair Deal Gone Down”, but I’m a fan of most of their discography. The new track “Forsaker” makes me think Night is the New Day will be another promising and great offering from Katatonia.
Complete agreement with Moto. Some of the melodies on Last Fair Deal Gone Down are incredibly affecting. Brave Murder Day was a great, as was most in their earlier heavier direction. Soil’s Song is one of my favorite tunes by them, don’t listen to it too closely though. Katatonia is wrist slitting music for sure.
That’s my favorite too, with Viva Emptiness a close second.
Hrm… never heard Katatonia before. Don’t know what I thought they would sound like, but that wasn’t it. I’ll be checking these guys out a bit further.
The vocals on the chorus of that song somewhat reminded me of Fair To Midland…
Fair To Midland are a solid group.
how about every album and every song, they’re easily the greatest band ever
These guys are freaking incredible. As many above have said, Viva Emptiness takes the cake, but Brave Murder Day and Tonight’s Decision are both excellent.
Thanks for the update on the new CD! Quite pumped about this one, myself!
New album – best record I’ve heard this year.
If you don’t mind me asking, how have you heard it? Or is that simply based on the album teaser?
I reviewed it for a magazine. As a side note I’m a long-time Katatonia fan, but even I was surprised how good it was. I won’t say too much but for me it’s their most complete album – and I hope it brings them many new fans.
I’m ecstatic to hear that! A lot of times I overhype new albums and then when I finally hear them they’re kind of a letdown (this was the case with the most recent Opeth album). Surprisingly though, I have yet to be let down this year! (2009 has been such an epic year in music.) New Muse, Baroness, Mastodon, Paradise Lost, Insomnium, Infected Mushroom, Porcupine Tree, Ghost Brigade, and Ronald Jenkees… basically every album that I’ve anticipated has completely outdone all of my expectations. Glad to hear that the new Katatonia probably won’t be an exception to this :)
Oh shit.
Favorite Katatonia
‘The Great Cold Distance’
If you check this cd out, get the special edition, the five or six songs that didn’t make the original cut, and Unfurl has to be one of the best songs ever written. If you’re talking favorite songs though…
Journey Through Pressure
Omerta
Ghost Of The Sun
Leaders
Deliberation
Unfurl
Dispossession
Sleeper
Criminals
Will I Arrive
Burn The Remembrance
Complicity
Evidence
July
Increase
Follower
Rusted
It’s pretty heavy on the last two cds. I really couldn’t get into them on their earlier stuff for some reason, but Viva Emptiness on, is amazing. I’m incredibly excited for the new cd.
I’ve never heard of katatonia until this site posted about them about a month or two ago. Since then I have done some homework on them, to see what they are all about, im really into there sound but the lyrics to me seem pretty weak. Usually i don’t care about lyrics to much, but for a metal band that sings, i find it more important to have more meaningful lyrics that have depth to them. Overall though i love the sound they are putting out and can’t wait to buy this record.
You don’t think their lyrics are good?! I agree that a lot of it is very “relationship rock”-influenced, but some of the imagery on Viva Emptiness is profoundly dark. “Omerta” and “Burn The Remembrance” both come to mind, as well as “Criminals”.
What I find most remarkable about Katatonia is that they are very psychologically explorative with their lyrics. The emptiness, and failure, and loss, and misery that resound throughout an album like Viva Emptiness are definitely part and parcel of the experience, and so I’d say that they are lyrically quite well grounded.
my favorite is the great cold distance, the new one is gonna be awesome
Last Fair Deal Gone Down is BY FARRRRR their best. By FARRRRR
Tonight’s Decision or Discouraged Ones(Mike from Opeth did backing vocals and vocal production on record).
Favorite songs:
In the White
Soil’s Song
Leaders
Cold Ways
I Break
Deadhouse
For my Demons
Had To(leave)
Black Sessions
Clean Today
Future of Speech
Don’t tell a Soul
Dispossession
Wealth
Evidence
Omerta
Been fan of these guys forever. Great band; all their records are great though some are better than others
sounds like linkin park
Are you British or retarded?
I’m not sure about that, but if you are trying to say that they are very melodic, is that a bad thing?
Katatonia best album and songs?
Album: Viva Emptiness
Songs: Criminals, Follower, Omerta, Soils Song, New Night ;)
I’ve only heard The Great Cold Distance, and now I think about it, I really have no idea why I haven’t sought out more if their stuff. I was absolutely obsessed with that record when I got it two years ago, and after not listening to it in ages, randomly decided to put it on in the car. It hadn’t lost any if it’s sheen.
I was just thinking that it was due time fir them to have something new out. This is such awesome news, and it’s made a fucking unbelievably good year for me in metal even better.
Katatonia is the shit. My girlfriend loves the way Jonas sings. This is one band anybody’s girlfriend can like, and a good way to introduce them to metal.
If ya got the new album in your hands, why don’t you be a god and upload it?