Moonspell - Alpha Noir

I’m really surprised more people aren’t talking about this album. I don’t meaning raving and claiming it to be the second coming of Master of Puppets or whatever . . . just surprised that I’m not hearing Moonspell pop up in musical conversations more often. Okay then, allow me to turn the topic over to these doom-y, gloom-y, goth-y, super heavy (heavy with a cape) Portuguese rockers.

I have a couple of Moonspell records in my ever morphing collection of music, and though I like the bands past records, they never jump out as the albums that I feel compelled to propel me through the doldrums of every day. They’re good, they have their moments, they just don’t live up to what I guess I want them to be. That’s completely on me. I’m good with that. Those albums aren’t going anywhere, so in time, I may find the hidden brilliance in them as well. As I said, I like them, I just don’t currently love them.

Now, Alpha Noir finally hits every mark for what I ever perceived of this band (which means that the old school Moonspell-heads probably think it sucks . . . but they’re wrong). This album, released through Napalm Records, is all things heavy, and intricate, and nihilistic, and oppressive, and moody, and all the dark things that make me think that Moonspell is all about. Alpha Noir is a demonic groover that emits the faintest odor of brimstone as it spins on the player. A positively dark record that has me banging my head at my desk, behind the wheel, or pushing a shopping cart through the grocery store. Simply beastly.

Take your pick of songs . . . the lead track, “Axis Mundi”, for instance . . . it has a great and intense building intro that is a true harbinger of devastation to come. Huge tribal rhythms amidst a wash of feedback and thundering sound effects, and then a laser-like guitar riff that cuts through ¼ inch sheet metal like it was a sheet of velum. That’s the kind of stuff the fires me up! Follow this up a few seconds later with a one of the more powerful riffs on the album, all accompanied by a drummer who more than knows his way around a kit, and I’m in pure heaven. The tightness of that riff and the steadfast and straight forward drumming make the opening couple minutes of this song an exercise in power. Moonspell do a great job of mixing in a little ambient texture in the song, as well, by dropping in some subtle keyboard flourishes . . . and then there’s the middle/end break where the band completely drops out and we’re left listening to the creepy crooning voice of frontman and band mainstay, Fernando Ribeiro sing over a plaintively plinking piano passage. Fucking epic song that never gets old!

Check out the title track and its opening salvo of galloping guitar riffs, and then feel how you’re blown back a step or two when the band kicks in. What a wonderful treatment of mid tempo, palm muted riffing! Feel the song kick into overdrive as the double bass drums suddenly thunder their way onto the scene. And the textural washes of the keyboards and contrasting melodic guitar lines that weave throughout the chaotic flurries of sound. Just a well composed track that has enough changes and shifts to keep things constantly interesting and compelling. Searing guitar leads and Ribeiro’s trademark gothic croon sprinkle the last bits of seasoning that this song needs to make it a must listen!

“Opera Carne” is a blistering tune that features one of those melodic choruses that’s accompanied me in my early waking moments for the past week. It’s not one of those over the top melodies with a huge operatic choir or a big sing-along moment, but there’s something about the way Ribeiro growls the words “How our flesh burns . . . in mysterious ways” that it sticks in my head and I easily hum this ghastly tune. Musically speaking though, this one is brutally heavy! Great effects on the guitars opening the track and the production on the drums it superb . . . the drums sound like they’re set up in my office right next to me. Sharp, crisp, powerful!

Then onto my personal favorite on the album, “Love Is Blasphemy”. I can’t play this monster loud enough! It’s almost ridiculous how killer this song is . . . the opening musical intro with its rhythmic tom work and melodic guitar lines, creating a few moments of dark tension. Then Moonspell drop the fucking hammer. A guitar riff crafted by the hands of goblins in the darkest reaches of Mordor, cymbal crashes that invoke memories of Metallica at the moment when they were poised to rule the world, a guttural vocal utterance that spits venom in the faces of church leaders world-wide, and one of the most tastefully aggressive heavy metal songs one will hear for the rest of the year. Beautifully crafted, not up its own ass with too much progression, not too stripped down to be redundant . . . Moonspell get to the meat of the matter right off the bat and beat the listener senseless for just over four and half minutes.

The musicianship throughout Alpha Noir is top notch, but it’s not too show-y. Moonspell have chops, but thankfully, they don’t see the need to pummel us with technical glitz and just keep the music simple. This is, by far, the heaviest record I’ve heard all year and also the biggest surprise I’ve experienced. As I mentioned, I know some stuff about Moonspell, and I’ve just never been a monstrous fan. One of my first experiences with them was when I caught them live opening for Opeth a few years back, and they blew me away! The showmanship, the stage presence, the seemingly 7’ tall Fernando Ribeiro extending his arms and looking like some nightmarish vulture . . . it was enough to sear an impression in my mind’s eye for a lifetime and with Alpha Noir, the sound I always associated this live imagery with has been captured. Massively heavy music propelled by monstrous grooves full of heavily distorted guitars and insane drumming. Great record that I simply can’t listen to enough!

Pope

http://www.facebook.com/moonspellband

Katatonia - Last Fair Deal Gone Down

Y’know, it’s funny to me that I can have albums sitting in my collection for months, nay . . . years, before I recognize their brilliance. Waveriders, I have a hidden gem for you, specifically if you like your music dark, moody, and dipped in a healthy coating of depression, and draped in a heavy layer of gothic fabric. Katatonia’s Last Fair Deal Gone Down has been in my collection for a few years by now, though originally released in 2001 through Peaceville, and for some unknown reason, it didn’t immediately resonate with me. Maybe I was too happy when I received it, maybe my life was too good and shining with optimism. That’s not to say that my life has changed all that much now, but there is an air of uncertainty surrounding me these days that makes my perspective a little on the darker side. So . . . maybe that’s why this album suddenly makes sense to me, why Last Fair Deal Gone Down has inexplicably spoken to me more than the cheery and shimmering hits of the summer. I don’t know . . . it’s always a mystery. That’s one of the reasons I write these things!

For those not in the know, I stumbled on Katatonia a number of years back with the release of their impeccable Viva Emptiness album, an album filled with such darkness and somber violent intent that I fell in love with the band and haven’t looked back. The band’s music has depressive tones to it and there are many times that I imagine a cartoonish storm cloud lingering over my head threatening to douse me in cold rain. The emotions are turbulent, the mood dampened, however, tucked somewhere in these dreary tunes is this wandering ray of hope that we, as human beings, must cling to if we have any inclination to return to a world of sanity. The musicianship, especially in the guitar work, has an effervescence to it, in that, one guitar will lay down a foundation of sustained distortion while the second guitar comes along and adds flourishes of single note texture that creates a sweeping contrast of mood. In the meantime, the rhythm section holds a steady circling pattern for the guitars to work their magic. Oh . . . and let’s not forget the vocal work of Jonas Renkse . . . otherworldly. The man has a way of conveying his despondency that sends chills through my being.

Ultimately, I think what makes Last Fair Deal Gone Down work so well is the way the band crafts their songs with a combination of compelling melodies and heavily aggressive rock. Face it, without the haunting melodies, the songs would come across as one dimensional. “We Must Bury You” starts off with this morbid tale about the protagonist kicking the crap, and ultimately the life, out of somebody. Dark, right? But the lyrics that make up the verses don’t carry the emotional impact without the melodic chorus and the plaintive croon from Renkse as he recites, “We must bury you” . . . almost with a sense of panic, a need to hide the crime of the murder. One can almost imagine the scenario as this group of guys are standing over a broken and beaten body, not so much speaking the words, but communicating with their eyes and thoughts that the body must be disposed . . . somehow. And then, the second verse and the remorse, the begging for forgiveness . . . fuck! Dark and powerful! Follow that song with “Teargas” and Christ! Tracks three and four are an emotional rollercoaster! That sudden burst from the band as the guitars lay down a texture passage through the darkness . . . the sheer intensity that suddenly evaporates into the Renkse led vocal work. I love how his voice steadily gets stronger through the verses and then, by the time we get to the chorus, explodes into a haunting melody of sadness and personal tragedy of love lost.

“Tonight’s Music” is pure dark magic! The soft guitar work that opens the track is so fragile and is reflected by the vocals as they creep into the mix . . . like Renkse is well aware that if his vocals were any louder that the riff would be damaged. What Katatonia do probably better than any other collection of songwriters is they balance the light moments with dramatic movements of heaviness, and this song is a perfect example of that. The verses are so fragile, so vulnerable, but then it’s like the cracks suddenly begin to appear and spider web across the mind’s eye as the chorus erupts. So filled with passion and emotion, so vibrant and charismatically expressive. But, that’s not to say that the band can’t rock out heavily throughout a track either. “Clean Today” is a heavy guitar driven psychotic breakdown waiting to happen. Bitchin’ drum work, elaborate guitar textures, and vocals that are more filled with confidence, one of the lone moments where the sun seems to want to break through the dense fog rather than submit to its captivity within the clouds of despair. 

“The Future of Speech” is one of those dramatic moments in rock sound where the keyboard textures create wondrous soundscapes for the guitars, bass, and drums to wreak their havoc. The vocals are superb throughout . . . evoking physical reactions and that voice! Man . . . just beautiful! Then there’s Passing Bird” . . . I’m not even sure what to say about this track. It’s just one of those songs you have to hear, and then it’ll become a part of you. You’ll sing about the girl with the black hair and the black dress. The vocal works is fantastic and something that you’ll have to key into, not because you necessarily want to but because you’ll be forced to. The power of the vocals allows the guitars to play a more subtle roll, but then . . . then they explode and surprise the hell out of you coz’ they just seemed to linger in the shadows. Almost like you forgot they were in the song because you were so keyed in on the lyrics and the melody, but when they do jump out of those shadows, there’s no forgetting them. It’s that complimentary roll that all of the instruments play with one another that keeps the music ultimately interesting.

Every song on Last Fair Deal Gone Down is a keeper, there’s not a throw away track on the album. If you’re one of those new found Katatonia fans and you’ve been on the fence about this album for any reason, please . . . I hope my words will suffice as a fair assessment that you should have very little to no doubt that this record will be a welcome addition to your life. I don’t necessarily think that you need to be in some dark place to get this album, to truly understand it . . . you simply need to have a greater understanding of your own emotions. The songs are crafted around the listener and their ability to feel, and each song has the ability to move the listener to tears, send the listener to an inner place of reflection. For those hoping for more a hard rockin’ album, eh . . . Last Fair Deal Gone Down doesn’t rock in the traditional heavy metal sense, however, that’s not to say it’s not heavy. It’s texturally heavy, it’s emotionally heavy, it’s not necessarily sonically heavy. Again, really wish I had found this album earlier in my life. It’s too good to go through life without.

Of final note, apparently this is the 10 year anniversary of the albums original release, so you should be able to find a deluxe re-issue package of the album here, there, or wherever. Sage advice: Go out and buy it.

--Pope

Buy here: Last Fair Deal Gone Down
Buy here mp3: Last Fair Deal Gone Down - 10th Anniversay Edition
Buy here vinyl: Last Fair Deal Gone Down [Vinyl]

http://katatonia.com/

Lacrimas Profundere - The Grandiose Nowhere

There was some time back that I was vastly opposed to anything that wasn’t traditional metal, wasn’t full on heavy for the sake of pummeling the listener into submission, music that wasn’t packed so tightly into a box of walls that I created to the point that the music couldn’t breathe or grow. How totally tragic is it to keep something from growing? Spend a season planting seeds and nurturing them into tiny green sprouts emerging from the damp soil, reaching for the warming rays of the sun. Thankfully, those days of inhibiting the natural order of things are well behind me and I can now accept, appreciate, and most importantly, love all forms of music. With all of that being said, the mid-80’s Pope would have been less than pleased with a band like Lacrimas Profundere and the sounds that they’ve delivered on The Grandiose Nowhere. The music would have been too ambient, too melodic, too goth-y, too artsy. In truth, it would have been too good for me to like. Eh, we all get older and hopefully a little wiser.

While Lacrimas Profundere has all of those wonderfully melodic textures dancing around their sound, they utilize the heavy elements to add strength and body to the music. The ambient portions feel more menacing, the melodies more dramatic, the gothic tones darker, and the artistic air more vibrant and lush. In listening to this album, I can’t help but hear flavors of so many past artists, but not one in particular. I hear a bit of the darkened tones of a band like Paradise Lost, especially with the heavily distorted guitars, but then I hear someone like Peter Murphy making spastic love to the mic. I hear elements of bands like the Cure . . . or Type O-Negative . . . or Moonspell . . . or Lacuna Coil . . . ach! Trying to pinpoint this band’s sound is like catching a dream upon a sudden and violent awakening. Suffice it to say, these guys sound good and, with their addictive melodies, have that sound that makes me want to listen over and over again despite those fleeting moments of melodrama.

Where the album opener, “Be Mine In Tears,” initially got my attention with its heavy tones and upbeat drive, it was the second track that drew me deeper into the thralls of this albums power. “The Letter” is a brilliantly composed tune filled with an emotive vocal performance and the excellent execution of heavy metal power and melodic sentimentality. I love the way these guys have the various layers of keyboards and synths dancing around each other, kind of like some manic and chaotic waltz. Then, they fade away and are replaced for a brief time by a dense wall of distorted guitars and those sexy smoldering vocals. The contrast between the verses and choruses are dramatic, with the chorus melody as opiate addictive as they get. Go ahead . . . succumb to the addictive, narcotic qualities of the Lacrimas Profundere melodies. Sure, you’ll be humming them through the course of your day, but look at the positives . . . no liver disease, no lung disease, no kidney disease, in fact, this stuff will put a pep in your step and probably make you a healthier individual!

The underlying theme throughout The Grandiose Nowhere is the dark sexiness the percolates from the sultry sounds of the music. I’ve never heard the word ‘kiss’ used so frequently and still sound so sexy, so romantic, so dark and shocking. Check out the songs “Lips” and “Her Occasion of Sin,” and fall in love all over again. Not the kind of puppy dog and bright flowers love, but the love that’s laced with pain, longing for a lovers touch, the indescribable torture of being apart from the one you want more than any other. The words probably wouldn’t mean as much or be as powerful if it weren’t for the conveyance of emotion from the vocalist. That darkened, whiskey soaked drawl adds so much nuance to the subject matter, so much emotion that we, as listeners, buy into the tales of tormented souls.

“Not For Love” follows the darkened pattern of the songs before it. Heavy verses sung from an understated position, yet still filled with nuance, and then as the song opens at the chorus and explodes with melody, we become hooked. This particular song has that something special . . . maybe it’s the bounce of the chorus, maybe it’s the dense riffage of the guitars, maybe it’s the haunting melodies, maybe it’s all of these things wrapped up into one composition. “The Fear of Being Alone” immediately follows with a new wrinkle added to the mix of instruments. Piano keys chillingly plink away at the opening melody and what sounds like a female voice joins the dominant male lead to harmonize to near perfection . . . maybe not in pitch or whatever, but purely in emotion. The combination of pianos and female vocals give the song the much needed element to separate it from the rest of the songs on the album. Beautiful and haunting, this is the song that I’ve found myself looking forward to as I spin The Grandiose Nowhere.

Finally, “No Matter Where You Shoot Me Down” wraps up the album and, in a lot of ways, shows the band writing and performing at their very finest. The guitars have an odd distortion to them, sounding a bit little some bastardized country western piece, all played over a throbbing rhythm. Again, the vocals steal the spotlight, painting a sepia toned picture of personal torment with the conveyance of the lyrics. They build and build with tension, and then just as one might expect the song to burst into a frenzied barrage of musical notes and complex tones, the song just seems to slip away . . . maybe it’s a little anti-climactic, but in actuality, it’s a pretty damned accurate reflection of life. When we up and die, odds are, it won’t be in a ball of flame as we rush head long into conflict. Most of us will probably die alone, in our sleep, of a broken heart . . . very few of us will actually die as the heroes that we see in movies or in our heads.

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I put this album on, but I certainly wasn’t expecting that I would immediately set finger to keyboard to begin composing my thoughts on this twelve songs collection of darkened rock tunes. Lacrimas Profundere will interest most of those music folk who have a serious dislike for the sun, but should also be a compelling listen for the more mainstream music fan. These guys work the melodies to perfection . . . they make them memorable, but retain a bit of a dangerous edge to them. There’s a lot of looking out over rain swept plains from the confines of a candlelit room in this music, but oddly enough, it’s not terribly depressing. On the contrary, the music is more upbeat and danceable than one might think based on the lyrical content. The Grandiose Nowhere has some of those crossover qualities in that it’s accessibly melodic while remaining dark and metallic, something that we’re starting to see more and more of as time goes on. And, for me, that’s a good thing. I like it when I can listen to a piece of music that will satisfy my listening needs no matter what kind of mood I’m in.  -  Pope JTE

www.myspace.com/lacrimasprofundere

www.lacrimas.com

Napalm Records Report: Featuring Van Canto, Mortemia, and Varg

Napalm Records is back this month with another set of hard edged and metallic music. As I immersed myself in the sounds of the labels latest offerings, I found myself a little surprised yet absolutely wide eyed and thrilled by what I was hearing. Last month, I wrote about The Kandidate and Troll, two bands that gravitated toward the more violent and aggressive side of the metal spectrum. Hence my surprise when I gave Van Canto, Mortemia, and Varg their respective spins. While this latest group of artists is still metal in every way shape and form, all three have more elegant and delicate elements to their sounds. In other words, they’ll still shred the skin from your face, but they’ll do it with a loving smile instead of a grotesque scowl. Each band has something interesting to offer the genre of metal, and though I’m no master of all the various sub-genres, I’m willing to bet that they offer a new wrinkle to many of those as well.

Van Canto – Tribe of Force

Van Canto’s Tribe of Force is far and above the most eye brow raising disc I’ve heard since I stumbled on one of the many Apocalyptica albums. Now, I don’t expect every metal fan out there to succumb to this album the same way that I did, but I do expect a few Waveriders in particular to investigate Tribe of Force further and ultimately fall madly in love with it. The deal with this album is that it’s A Cappella metal. Yep. That’s right . . . all of the electric instruments (for the most part) are replaced with vocal performances. I know what you’re thinking. I thought the same exact thing. But I now stand before you and proclaim that the concept works and it works well. Instead of a rumbling bass line, we get to hear a baritone voice holding down the groove, a second voice coming in and adding a little texture and melody, female voices adding airy harmonies, and a lead vocal that is equal parts gruff and sweet. It’s all accompanied by a drummer and every so often, electric guitars sweep in to provide dynamic solos.

Though damn near every song on here is remarkable in some way shape or form, I found “One to Ten” to be one of the strongest, mainly because of the dynamics that the band show in the composition. Leading off with a female lead over the double bass drum and tongue twisting baritone bass rhythms, the song just picks up the listener and carries them on a figurative journey from one village tavern to another. The chorus is an uplifting passage and I’m constantly amazed by this group’s ability to work their voices together so tightly and give the music the necessary muscle to fit within the genre. The guitar solos are freaking awesome and I love how the band breaks down the piece to just the baritone rhythms before exploding into a flurry of sound again.

The greatest moment that Van Canto gives us is their interpretation of Metallica’s "Master of Puppets." No . . . really. It is an impressive, nay . . . phenomenal rendition of a classic metal song, and it’s all done with a choir of voices. It’s a testament to the heaviness of that song, as well as to Van Canto for working the voices to the point of perfection. If the voices had come in any different way, the song wouldn’t have any luster whatsoever, but to the bands credit, they tackled a beast of a song and gave it their own personal touch. Pay close attention to the break where traditionally Hetfield and Hammett would do their nifty guitar harmony thing, and listen to how these parts are nailed by the female vocals. As the song explodes into the “Master” chant, the baritone vocals return and I can’t help but be amazed at how these guys don’t lose their breath. This is an album for those who like massively orchestrated music and an appreciation for fresh takes on the art of metal performance. Other songs of note are “My Voice” and “I Am Human.” www.myspace.com/vancanto  

Mortemia – Misere Mortum

Mortemia came up categorized as Gothic Metal, and though I hear some elements of the Gothic stylings in their sound, I hear something so much more involved. There’s a complexity to the various guitar tones and the way they mix with the keyboards and harmonized vocals. These guys remind me of the heaviness of Dark Tranquility, mixed with the symphonic sounds of Therion, mixed again with the darkened progressive sounds of Ihsahn, mixed with the technical guitar heroics of Iron Maiden. Seriously . . . these guys seem to do it all, and as I’m sure you can guess, there are dynamics to the compositions that will consistently have you wondering what’s coming up next. I’m not certain, but I think a lot of the lyrics are sung in Latin, but seeing as the only exposure I get to the language is from looking at an encyclopedia or reading the covers of a bunch of metal albums, I could be totally off base.

“The Pain Infernal and the Fall Eternal” is spectacular in every way, shape, and form. Opening with a muted and muddy guitar riff, then suddenly exploding with clarity, the song takes another turn by having an operatic set of voices accompany the chord progression. Normally, that would be enough for me to nod my head in approval, but then as the vocals come in and sing the first verse, a group of harmonized vocals deliver the message, further accompanied by female vocals at the chorus. The song takes a darker turn as a demonic, screechy voice spits venom in the listener’s ear, and by this time, I’ve got my right hand hoisted in the air, horns waving in support. This song goes from awesome to breathtaking and just puts a damn big smile on my face. Note the guitar work at the solo and the subsequent musical break down. This song is a fucking epic!

“The Malice of Life’s Cruel Ways” opens brutally heavy with big fat chunky riffs and double bass. The vocals have that deep guttural and spooky quality to them, but I understand enough of the words to know that they’re being sung in English at this point. The groove is awesome . . . throbbing, pulsating its way into the soul, forcing the body to bob up and down. Once the song reaches the chorus, the operatic qualities return with a huge choir of voices singing in harmony. The breakdown after the second chorus is pretty damn slick, filled with string orchestration that creates a wall of tension before exploding in a volley of heaviness once again. “The Wheel of Fire” picks up where the previous song left off, heavy and filled with dynamic musical changes, and it’s at this point that I realize that Mortemia are flat out awesome! Aggressive enough for me to be immediately drawn to them, but delicate and musical enough for me to return time and time again . . . always keeping the music interesting, but never being too far over my head. Misere Mortum is an early runner up for my year end top ten list. www.myspace.com/mortemiano

Varg – Blutaar

I think I read somewhere that Varg was Norwegian and Swedish for wolf, so that should give you some idea of the music that you’re about to hear with these guys. It’s heavy and dark, but filled with folk-y melodies that weave in and out of the double bass flurries, forearm straining guitar riffs, and scorched earth vocals. Varg are referred to as Pagan Metal, which simply means to me that these guys are very earthy, in tuned with nature and the natural spirits, whether they be light or dark. With that being said, the music encapsulates that imagery almost perfectly. Though I’m not doing back flips over the folk-y melodies, I do appreciate where they’re coming from and the musical dynamics that they’ve infused within the more brutal passages, especially when they break things down even further and work in the acoustic guitars. The stripped down approach really works well and allows for an even heavier feel when the distorted guitars return to the mix.

“Invictus” is just my speed with the bullet train tempo and blast beat frenzy that evaporates into a more mid-tempo groove through the verses. The vocals, in all of their demonic splendor, work fantastically throughout this track, conveying emotions filled with torment and struggle. The music has a natural vibe to it, capturing a feel as if we were hiking through a frost covered forest. But not a nature hike, but a migratory hike for survival. One steeped with danger and fright with every crunching footstep in snow and mud. The breaks that Varg throw into this song are well timed to capture the best senses of tension and the musicianship is masterful. My forearms are on fire just imagining these guys powering through the closing riff of this song.

“Sieg oder Niedergang” is a galloping episode of extreme metal fused with the best elements of power metal. If one imagines that they are already on some life and death trek across frozen wastelands, then this song captures the imagery of warriors on horseback in high pursuit after out little peaceful caravan. And if you so choose to imagine the song in such a capacity, the music becomes a little more frightening and, in truth, I feel my heartbeat elevating a few beats per minute. Definitely one of the more heavy songs on the album due to its slower tempo, “Sieg oder Niedergang” reminds me a bit of Iron Maiden or some of the NWOBHM bands, just updated and more immediate for today’s critical metal ear. Oh, and I looked up what “Sieg oder Niedergang” means and it roughly translates to “Victory or Decline.” Further songs of note are the title track and the haunting acoustic instrumental, “Nebelleben.” www.myspace.com/varghorde

- Pope JTE

Katatonia - Night is the New Day

With the clouds hanging low in the sky and rain in the air, I sit in my candle lit office; needle of my beloved turntable poised in anticipation over the spinning vinyl platter of Katatonia’s latest release, Night is the New Day. I pause for a brief moment to reflect on the bleak weather and the perfect backdrop for the music that will soon fill the air with its brooding and ominous weight. Can you believe my luck? Gloomy and miserable weather to go hand in hand with the new album from one of metaldoms darkest and most moodily complex units! The Metal Gods are surely looking down on me in favor!

Admittedly, I’m a rather new fan of Katatonia, having only discovered them on the Viva Emptiness album. But, in so many ways, I feel like I’ve been following this band, and they’ve been a massive part of my life for decades. Maybe I simply relate to the heartache, the mental torment, the pain that they’ve espoused over their past releases. Maybe a part of me really likes lurking around in the gloom of my candle lit office. Or, maybe, just maybe, I like being depressed. I don’t know all of the reasons, and nor do I claim to want to. What I do know is that Katatonia has released a demon of an album that propels the listener into a primal state of self deprecation at the same time that it’s sending that same listener to a place where the soft light of hope softly burns. Even while I sit in near darkness and let the detuned chords wash over me, bathing me in sheer moments of melancholy, I marvel at the complexity of the musicianship and song composition.

Night is the New Day opens with the majestic “Forsaker.” The song is balanced artfully between beautiful and brutal, namely by the guitar work of Anders Nystrom and Fredrik Norrman. While one guitar is shimmering elegant clean toned passages through the left speaker, the other is bombarding us with wave after wave of detuned distortion. The contrast of the two moods created by these uber-talented guitarists is the yin and yang of Katatonia, but it’s the tormented performances of vocalist Jonas Renkse that defines the band’s sound, at least of recent years. The rhythm section of bassist Mattias Norrman and drummer Daniel Liljekvist may have the toughest job of all. These two have to keep the groove throughout the countless mood swings and abrupt time changes . . . and they do a masterful job at that. “Forsaker” is the epitome of the Katatonia composition. Huge musical movements countered by subtle instrumental textures, all powered to the touch the soul by soaring, though tortured vocals.

The sprawling epic-ness of the Katatonia sound is carried on through “Onward Into Battle,” dark and filled with melancholy. There are no wasted notes as the band seemingly adds a piece of their individual beings into the performances. With every verse, you’re gripping onto every word in hopes that with the combined strength of every listener that everything will work out for the better. The instrumental break near the midpoint of the track is filled with so much drama . . . the band very easily could have inserted a simple start/stop break, but instead, they chose to add huge chords of synthesizers to accompany the guitars, creating a short but utterly fantastic movement in the music. It almost has a progressive vibe while rooted in classical composition, while still retaining a full on gritty metal approach. It’s truly an amazing break! Listen to the wide array of effects that the guitar duo uses throughout this track and become amazed at the virtuosity that they employ in their craft.

“Liberation” and “The Promise of Deceit” are the two tracks that see my return the most frequently during this initial auditory exploration because of the superior musicianship and the bands ability to plant seeds of fantasy in my mind. In particular, the chorus vocal melodies in “Liberation” send chills across all of my emotions. Filled with equal parts sorrow and hope, Renkse’s voice should be a national treasure of the great country of Sweden. Note the guitar work on these two tracks, as well. Both songs are filled with great ambient moments from one guitarist, beautifully textured approaches of clean tones, and then shift into monstrous distorted tones that are mixed with a great technique of palm muted attacks and wide open sustained chords. The combination makes for an intriguing listen. “The Promise of Deceit” is oppressively heavy and ultimately creepy, awash in darkened tones, it’s the kind of song that would be playing in your head as you wander dazed through an empty old house, seeing aged pictures of people that you think you recognize as those you once loved. Man . . . the imagery that these guys convey through their music is always a welcome treat!

“Ashen,” despite being one of the heavier songs on the album, has a ton of accessibility due to the bands great use of melody. Now, I’m not talking the sickly sweet type melodies that make us retch while listening to pop radio. I’m talking haunting melodies that grip you in a real way. Melodies that actually feel like a weight has been placed on your chest and that you want to cry because these same melodies bring back a million memories that are filled with pain. Melodies that actually mean something. Dancing between the rich melodic works, the guitars pummel away with tastefully palm muted and somewhat aggressive passages. The off time drum patterns are a nice touch! You never know exactly where Liljekvist is going, but it’s always someplace of greater interest than most. Note the soft pitter-patter of what sound like fingers rapping across a desk in the early moments of the track. Again, nice touch of texture that may not necessarily move the song along, but it becomes a place of interest.

I hate to say that Katatonia can do no wrong, but everything that I’ve heard since Viva Emptiness has been nothing but pleasure to my ears. When Opeth’s Mikael Akerfeldt said something along the lines that Night is the New Day is the best heavy album that he’s heard in the last ten years, I certainly paid attention. Is it the best heavy album that I’ve heard in the past ten years? No. It is most certainly one of the best albums that I’ve heard in the past year and will undoubtedly make my year end Top 10 List because Night is the New Day is absolutely amazing. The musical moments contained within the grooves of this album are mighty and definitely deserve the recognition of the masses. The darkened tones of the albums material are real. If the subject matter isn’t real, then Jonas Renkse is one hell of an actor, because he conveys the torture and pain of his emotions like we were witnessing it happen first hand. And what I’ve found possibly the most interesting aspect of this album, and those before it, is that even though the subject matter and the musical tones are dark and brooding, the music isn’t depressing. Though it works well to be played in a darkened room merely lit by candles, I never feel the need to look for a loaded gun or a bottle full of pills. These are songs of inner strength and a firsthand description of one man’s ability to handle said struggles. Night is the New Day is simply a captivating listen and will require more than one listen to grasp the full weight.

-- Pope JTE

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