KATATONIA’S NIGHT IS THE NEW DAY: ALMOST 20 YEARS LATER AND THERE’S STILL PLENTY TO BE GLOOMY ABOUT
Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 1:30pm by Bob Cock
In a time when being “heavy” in the world of metal all too often relies on generic chug or the most guttural vocals spewed forth, it’s always reassuring when a band can actually sing and still be “heavy.” And it’s even more reassuring when that band is Katatonia – because at this point in the game, you know what you’re going to get: an awesome record that relies more on feeling and flavor than overt technicality or balls-to-the-wall brutality.
Formed in 1991, Katatonia – for the uninitiated that still live under a rock – have changed pretty drastically since their birth, but unlike a whole host of disappointing bands that opted out of one style in favor of singing, Katatonia has been consistently churning out growl-less releases since the late 90s. And most of those go on to garner much acclaim from metal press. If the opening few tracks of Night Is The New Day, the band’s latest effort, don’t convince of this fact, you may want to check your pulse… or your hearing. Katatonia is still on the ball.
Much in the vein of the band’s recent output of gloom-driven goth (as oppossed to their doomy death roots), Katatonia are akin to a heavier version of Porcupine Tree, or Opeth’s lighter side – sans so much technicality, which the band sacrifices in favor of feeling not only in the riffs, but also in the atmospheric swirls of synth mixed and matched with vocalist Jonas Renkse’s trademark disconsolate croon. His vocals fall somewhere between hopelessness, despair and depression.
Night Is The New Day is heaving, incredibly melodic, and ultimately melancholic metal with a meaning. With plenty of progressive flair – wrapped nicely in wank-free five minute tracks – Katatonia continues to show why they’re still, after eighteen years, arguably Finland’s best metal export. Chalk up another win for Katatonia, give them another trophy for their mantle, buy them a present, or do whatever you’re supposed to do when a band puts out an awesome record, because Night Is The New Day is just that.
(four out of five horns)
-BC
FYI, Katatonia is Swedish I think. Great fucking album.
Katatonia is Swedish FOR SURE.
Katatonia is from Sweden, this small detail let in the floor the review(r) credibility.
Someone didn’t do the fucking research…
This website gets worse and worse by the day. You people are an absolute fucking travesty.
Finland??? What the FUCK is wrong with you people. You guys really should shoot yourselves, save your parents future embarrassment.
As someone who has been following Katatonia for the better part of 15 years, I will say this about the album: It’s their best since their magnum opus “Last Fair Deal Gone Down”. Very gloomy and sobre, dropping the mainstream aspirations found on “Viva Emptiness” and “The Great Cold Distance”.
That’s my favorite one too Biff. But this one is quickly ascending the ranks of best Katatonia albums. The final song is a masterpiece, the supporting vocals from some random Swedish guy are stunning. I was never a huge Viva Emptiness fan, but I love the Tonight’s Decision era and I appreciate the Great Cold Distance quite a bit. They’re just a class band, and when they are in Bloodbath all the subtlety and melodic care they use go out the window. Swedes can never escape the death metal, it’s in their blood.
Yeah, maybe Bob whoever got them confused with Sentenced?
I actually cant fucking stand the guest vocals on the second half of departer!! Very weak sounding…. kinda sounds like Danny Cavanaugh from Anathema when he sings on some of their songs. I like Jonas’ half of the song though. I like “Viva…” but, I only like 4 songs off Great cold distance….can’t stand the nu-metalness of half that album (Rusted,The Itch….).
But, you are right, this one is ascending the ranks very quickly. I love the atmosphere of it.
‘Katatonia formed in 1991 in Stockholm, Sweden’
source = Katatonia.com
Awesome disc though. I love Ashen and Onward Into Battle.
This is my first Katatonia album, I love it and cant wait to get into their older stuff. Suggestions?
LAST FAIR DEAL GONE DOWN !!! followed by “Tonights Decision” then “Discouraged Ones”
It was a stupid mistake to make, but geez, don’t throw a hissy fit just because he got one fact wrong.
didnt likke this band for the longest time, but now i cannot get enough of them
Pretty good album. I think it is pretty different from what they’d done on the last few albums – less guitar oriented, and completely focused on the vocals. Reviewed it over here: http://atanamar.blogspot.com/2009/11/katatonia-night-is-new-day-peaceville.html
It’s 5 horns from me – in a strong year for metal away from the usual suspects this is still the only album that I wouldn’t hesistate to call a future classic.
they’re easily the greatest band in history, yeah i said it
I love Katatonia, but Iron Maiden would like to have a word with you.
Better than Crotchduster?
This is a great album… I wish there was a bit more heaviness like the very beginning of the album, but I really can’t complain. It’s not going to make my top ten list for the year, but that’s certainly not an indictment of Katatonia so much as a statement of how many great albums there are this year.
And maybe it’s just me, but Katatonia’s singer reminds me a great deal of Mikael Åkerfeldt… I know that Åkerfeldt used to be Katatonia’s singer there for a bit, so this isn’t a huge surprise. It’s not like a blatant ripoff, of course… just that their voices are similar.
I think their voices couldn’t be more different. The ONLY time Renkse has ever sounded like Akerfeldt is on the song “Idle Blood” from this album. Throughout most of his career, Renkse has been ripped on for his vocals, lots of people think he is horrible. On the albums “Tonights Decision thru “Last Fair Deal Gone Down” he was a bit of an aquired taste, but I loved it. On “Viva Emptiness” he developed a more mainstream, easy on the ears sound, which I love as well. The man is a vocal god. MUCH better than Akerfeldt.
The two are best friends though, so they may have similar inspiration.
I’ve honestly always thought they were different, maybe it’s due to having listened to them for so long.
But they are really good friends though, with Akerfeldt praising this disc already, and them both playing in Bloodbath (Renske on Bass, Akerfeldt on Vox)
When I saw them in London recently they broke out Murder which was a surprise and I have to say Jonas’ growls are incredible live. It’s amazing that there’s this whole other side to his vocals that he chooses not to show, and he doesn’t really need to at the end of the (new) day.
Awesome album… I think this review downplays the technicality of this band. The drumming on this album is amazing – not in the triggered/quantized metal sense, but I bet he could play circles around most other drummers in “technical” bands.
I agree, K. I think drums are often overlooked in metal. “Dave Lombardo rules!!!!” Yes he does, but so do a lot of other drummers! Katatonia’s is amazing. Thomas Haake, of course. Porcupine Tree’s Gavin Harrison deserves a nod. Paul Mazurkewicz (sp?) gets a lot of flak, but he’s incredibly creative!
u forgot danny carey of TOOL…
Two incorrect countries of origin for bands in one week. Metalsucks sucks.
I really like this record as well. It is really guitar-heavy and melodic. I like “Forsaker” and “Onward Into Battle” the best on here, but overall this is a great record, especially at this time of year(fall/winter). The music reminds me of a cleaner version of the newer Enslaved records meets the newer Alice in Chains, but with Opeth’s clean vocals. Very good record!
The wait was worth it. This album is absolutely beautiful.
Why this band never achieved more mainstream-ish success like Tool or Nine inch nails has always been a mystery to me. I mean, their sound is just as accessible without being watered down or unoriginal.
Dim the lights, open a bottle of red wine and play this back to back with My Dying Bride’s latest for a great night of real emotional music that doesn’t insult your intelligence like that emo bullshit.
Any full-album stream going to come out? that would be rad
Fucking check your facts before you write a review about a band ffs! Katatonia is, and has always been, a SWEDISH band.