Dead End Kings

[LifeDepraved]

Katatonia, the Swedish purveyors of dark rock/metal, have announced that their ninth studio album, due to be released on Peaceville Records on August 27th (EU) and August 28th (US), will be titled ‘Dead End Kings’. A continuation of 2009’s inspired & acclaimed ‘Night is the New Day’, as well as a leap forward into the unknown, ‘Dead End Kings’ sees the quintet conjure yet another milestone in audial melancholy & angst.



Amongst their most poignant & ambitious material to date, ‘Dead End Kings’ was recorded at Ghost Ward Studios & The City Of Glass. The album was produced by founding duo Anders Nyström & Jonas Renkse themselves, & mixed by David Castillo, known for his prior work with the band, as well as Opeth & Bloodbath.



‘Dead End Kings’ sees the recording debut of guitarist Per Eriksson for Katatonia, as well as recent bassist Niklas Sandin. Additionally, Katatonia is joined once again by Frank Default & his invaluable expertise on sampling & atmospherics, plus a special guest appearance by Norwegian vocalist Silje Wergeland of Dutch legends The Gathering/ex-Octavia Sperati.



Jonas (vocals) comments on the album title:



“Dead End Kings is about the corridors of our mind from where there is no return. Be a king or queen in your own right in these hallways, even at the dead end. Carry your burden with pride. That's what we are doing, twenty years and counting. Kings, because we believe in what we are creating, in our own disturbing faith”.



Anders (Guitars) comments on the end result:



“This album has doors revolving into many different genres of music but remain disguised within the Katatonia trademark. We have walked the fine line between attempting not to repeat ourselves but also not to distance us away from what people know and love. We're now ready to hand over the evidence and whatever the direction this has taken is now for you to decide. We're confident the creativity and passion on this album is something that will be echoing even beyond the dead end”.



Artwork is once more supplied by long-time visual collaborator Travis Smith.


Tracklisting for ‘Dead End Kings’ (not in final running order):

THE PARTING
HYPNONE
UNDO YOU
THE RACING HEART
BUILDINGS
LEECH
THE ONE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS NOT HERE (featuring Silje Wergeland)
FIRST PRAYER
AMBITIONS
LETHEAN
DEAD LETTERS

 

[Lisra]

LETHEAN

Is that an actual word?

Also: song title in-jokes.

 

[gone]

every other day, living like a dead end king... no wait.

 

[FlawedCoil82]

Well I said from the very beginning that the only possible way this album could disappoint me is if one of the 13 tracks written was cut off the album, and unless there will be a "deluxe edition" release with the other 2 tracks included, then it looks like Peaceville is going to pull the same old despicable stunt where they withhold a couple songs off the retail release so that they can release them later on single releases or mp3 releases (items I refuse to buy as they have no place in my collection and I do not play the "double dip" game). Apparently, the letter I mailed to Peaceville Records a few months ago pleading that they not cut off any songs fell on deaf ears (blind eyes) so I will have to still honor the vow I made to not buy unless I saw all 13 songs included. There is absolutely nothing I loathe more about the music industry than being sold CDs where I know that there are songs/chapters not included. Never before in my life have I ever heard a single album that truly "benefited" from having songs cut off it. But I can name hundreds of albums that were utterly destroyed for me because of it. I'll have to buy some Katatonia merchandise in the meantime to help support them until Peaceville offers what I require with the new album.

 

[Lisra]

Is 13 the new magic number?

 

[FlawedCoil82]

Well the band said they recorded 13 songs for DEAD END KINGS and that they hoped to release two versions (one with 11 tracks and one with 13 tracks). If they release the 13 track one, I will be thrilled and pay any price they ask. But I have a sickening feeling that Peaceville Records stepped in and said "No way guys, we need to save 2 of those songs to use for overpriced singles and mp3 customers where we reward them for embracing the digital monster and punish the old-fashioned physical release customers where we give them less music for their money. Then in 5 years we can re-release the album with those 2 extra songs included for all the old-fashioned physical release fans to double dip on." Of course I hope I am wrong, but I know how the suits at record labels think. I would much rather see them charge me $50 upfront for a complete release instead of charging me $15 for an incomplete version with missing songs, and then another $20 later on for the re-release.

 

[Lisra]

Oh yeah, I forgot they said that.

Just buy the re-release? That's what i did with NITND. Cost me ~10USD new. Not exactly practical, but hey, patience is a virtue.

 

[FlawedCoil82]

Yea that is what I am planning to do (IF they don't release a 13 track version). I am still waiting on VIVA EMPTINESS to get a release with "Wait Outside" included before I add that album to my collection, so while the waiting does suck badly, I can still do it if I have to.

 

[Coma323]

Do you really need to bring up this same shit about bonus tracks in EVERY thread you post in? ugh

 

[LifeDepraved]

Do you really need to bring up this same shit about bonus tracks in EVERY thread you post in? ugh

Seriously...This "manchild" needs to grow up.

Anyways...I'm very excited by the news. The artwork and title(s) look/sound enticing. Can't wait as always for this Katatonia treat!!!

 

[BlueSky]

They should rename the album, "Attack of the Vomiting Chickenzilla!, aka 嘔吐チキンゴジラの攻撃!!!"

It's got a nice ring to it. Very marketable.

 

[Katatonic1]

Who gives a flying fuck if they release a few more songs later.. or a single or two. Why complain? Why not just support katatonia, and support the band that makes the music you love! Katatonia is not a huge big band like metallica reaping all the rewards, to protest against buying the album for a stupid reasons just makes no sense. Not only that but maybe not every song is meant to be on the album, that's why bands have b-sides or bonus tracks. It makes sense to put them out after the official album comes out.

 

[scentofdeath]

This

Who gives a flying fuck if they release a few more songs later.. or a single or two. Why complain? Why not just support katatonia, and support the band that makes the music you love! Katatonia is not a huge big band like metallica reaping all the rewards, to protest against buying the album for a stupid reasons just makes no sense. Not only that but maybe not every song is meant to be on the album, that's why bands have b-sides or bonus tracks. It makes sense to put them out after the official album comes out.

And maybe they should release one song every month on 3"cd and 7"vinyl.
Kind of like the "capsule" thing The Cult did some time ago.
12 months, 12 songs, and get song 13 free at the bitter end

 

[Anthony3]

As long as the music doesn't suck I'm happy.

 

[Hobo]

as long as the music isn't happy, it doesn't suck.

 

[FlawedCoil82]

I hardly feel I am a "manchild" because I despise the idea of being screwed out of songs and I stick to my principals. Really the only reason songs are left off retail albums anymore is so the record labels can re-release them later on more complete editions/re-releases, singles/eps, imports or exclusive digital outlets. And yes, that practice angers me immensely to know that I am given only select pieces of a journey instead of the entire thing so I can experience all the ups and downs and the entire spectrum of where the band was going when they wrote the album. I hate just getting "the highlights" of the journey on any album. Cutting songs only butchers that opportunity for the full experience and 9 times out of 10, the record label is to blame because they have money-making schemes planned and know that fans will pay them regardless, but I would much prefer to pay and reward the label when they actually offer me the physical version that I am proud to pluck my money down for instead of handing me an incomplete work and saying "Here, you will accept this edited product and pay us and you will like it".

I also did not mean to imply that I would not pay for these songs either. As much as I hate to feed the digital monster, I also do not believe in stealing music, so I would still buy the mp3 tracks off Amazon and create my own complete version until I could buy the entire collection of songs in a complete physical package whenever it is offered in the future. And trust me, I am not just picking on Katatonia here. I have this same exact issue with virtually EVERY band that I love and it is the one and only reason why my purchasing of CDs has dropped from about 90 CD purchases a year to roughly about 7-10 a year. Record labels themselves are to blame for slaughtering my support of them by selling me products that I know I can make better and more complete myself. As soon as I hear a great cut song that was left off a retail album, then the entire retail album is ruined from that moment onwards and I can't stand to listen to it anymore. Not to mention, as far as I am concerned, Katatonia is simply incapable of creating a bad song that is "unworthy" of being on a retail release, so it is inevitable that if the two songs are indeed left off DEK, they will end up being incredible songs and therefore their absence would severely sour my enjoyment of the album and make me feel like I was very badly cheated with my 11 track retail release.

 

[scentofdeath]

This reminds me how awesome the vinyl re-issues are: adjacent EP's included, bonus tracks included.

 

[scentofdeath]

 

[scentofdeath]

Well the band said they recorded 13 songs for DEAD END KINGS and that they hoped to release two versions (one with 11 tracks and one with 13 tracks). If they release the 13 track one, I will be thrilled and pay any price they ask. But I have a sickening feeling that Peaceville Records stepped in and said "No way guys, we need to save 2 of those songs to use for overpriced singles and mp3 customers where we reward them for embracing the digital monster and punish the old-fashioned physical release customers where we give them less music for their money. Then in 5 years we can re-release the album with those 2 extra songs included for all the old-fashioned physical release fans to double dip on." Of course I hope I am wrong, but I know how the suits at record labels think. I would much rather see them charge me $50 upfront for a complete release instead of charging me $15 for an incomplete version with missing songs, and then another $20 later on for the re-release.

C`mon man, cheer up. It`s a new Katatonia album!
Why worry about things like evil labels and money...
Music is the best thing you could be spending your money on. Money comes, money goes, music stays with you forever!
So go "hustle to make a buck, make a buck and fuck it up
fuck it up and suck it up, then go and make another buck"
(holler if y'all know who that is)

 

[LORD DARKSOUL]

Haha, Flawed Coil posted the same rant on Katatonia's Facebook post on their new album. He is the worst poster in the history of any forum ever, but at least I take solace in knowing that something like this actually ruins his day. Holy fuck, dude. Go 69 more. Or, better yet, make a totally nonsensical post about how driving 10 minutes to the club to find someone to 69 is going way too far, just like you did with that BRUTAL hour plus ride that you had to endure to catch Katatonia last year.