Dead End Kings

[Skaldir]

Interesting song. The part at 1:10 is the best moment of the whole song. ("Only once could I see clear") Too bad it didn't get continued. Atleast it comes back later
I think the part with the synth solo is pretty cool too.
One thing that didn't get mentioned is that the mix/master is a bit sub-bass heavy and clouds the low end. The low end of TGCD is more "tidy".
Now we have to wait to hear the other songs.

 

[Phoenix5]

I don't know how to feel about the song. The super prog thing is semi interesting I guess.


It just really makes me want to listen to Fair to Midland...haha.

 

[scentofdeath]

I think it all depends on where you jumped on board the Katatonia train.
People who loved them from the Dance of December Souls and still love them to this day, will know that this band is way too special to reduce it to petty influences from this band or that band.
Sure, there's obviously 2 big chapters in Katatonia, but they are one of those greatest bands of the 90's that evolved nicely, and kept the feeling. I think Katatonia is still ahead of the game and is a band who will influence other bands in time.
That being said, I think the one true influence on them is Jeff Buckley. The songwriting, the arrangements, Jonas' singing, they way it all comes together to bring you the "fuck, I love this so much" feeling.
In my opinion, calling Tool an "influence", is a bit demeaning. Katatonia is 100 times the band Tool is. A mere handful of riffs played over and over across 4 albums until they finally got 1 album right and fucked up with another. There's more to a band than a "cool riff style". Don't mistake lack of talent for genius.
Bottom line, "influence" is a heavy word. It shouldn't be used loosely with Katatonia.

 

[Code Against The Code]

Any idea who mixed the 5.1 disc? TGCD 5.1 surround DVD was the shittiest 5.1 mix I've ever heard. I'm hoping for Anathema's WHBWH quality.

 

[Anthony]

That being said, I think the one true influence on them is Jeff Buckley.

Yeah right, I feel that so much in TD/LFDGD! Much more melodic. And that's why I dislike things around Dead Letters' 2:00 or 2:44, this guitar dah-da-da-da-dah, dah-da-da-da-da-da-dah. They put these metal riffs to their music since VE, and my humble humble opinion is that music suffers from it.

I hate this dissection of the song

I see no bad in that katatonia fans deeply analyse the art of Katatonia. On the contrary, I like how seriously some ppl take this music, how they try to understand the way it "works".

 

[MiniMoose]

Haha, the moment I heard Dead Letters I knew someone (a small group of people) would get frustrated. I actually came by just to see that the discussion had begun.

My comment to that whining will be; I hear it the similarity, but I also hear influences from tons of other bands. Look a the song as a whole and it's not much TOOL left. If anyone manages to do it, please never again mention TOOL in the same sentence as Katatonia. The whole discussion is a cliche and fucking boring. It's like bashing Paradise Lost for sounding like Sisters Of Mercy.

Dead Letters song:

The only downer part for me is they use a Mellotron. It bores the heck out of me. My progressive period killed that instrument, because every damned progressive band wants to use one. Use a friggin SID-chip instead. It's still cool and it sounds fresh if used the right way. SID-Chip is the new Mellotron.

Other than that, I like the song a lot. Not too fond of the use of synth strings, but it works. The song is dynamic and moves more and more groovy throughout. I'm glad they seem to have possibly identified the main weakness of NITND, namely the lack of dynamics and groove and a bit too much copy/paste elements. Hopefully the the rest of the album will use many different sounds and synth stuff..hopefully the trip hop elements will keep showing up here and there.

It's odd how there's quite many seconds of silence on the end of the clip. Almost hoping they'll add something there.

One last thing about the lyrics and song names. On the next album Katatonia produce, they MUST have songs names that doesn't contain words like, Darkness, dead, angels, rivers etc. The songs titles should be "coffee in my eye" or "pink is the new peachy blue". The album cover can be a blue smiley face with a pink eye..and if you look very very closely within the other eye, you will see Jesus and a gun pointed at his head. And yes, Jesus will not be white. Shows you don't buy into the white Jesus thing..."updated", attitiude and new thinking.

The words of depression are all too well used up. Someone needs to change this old trend and Katatonia are or someone else must do it soon. My Dying Bride (birds!) have alone killed every dark metaphor there is. Paradise Lost is not far behind. Katatonia, you must lead the way! Of course, save this message and read it again in 3 years time.

All this said, I love every band mentioned in this rant. But just hoping evolution will also hit the doom genre some day too.

 

[Nightmare_Heaven]

Had another listen and liked bits of it more, I've pre-ordered the CD anyway.

 

[hugot]

is it august 27 already?

 

[batmura]

Katatonia is 100 times the band Tool is.

Even Jonas would laugh at this remark.

 

[Klosure]

You lot really need to calm down ,its just music, and your opinions are just that, opinions like mine but for fucks sake don't throw it in each others face too much.. we are all entitled so here is mine:

Basicallyt I've given myself a break after going "WTF" to this new song. I too felt as some of you did it was a lot to take in.


I came back to it today and in my view its a real grower. If anything I am surprised its a step back slightly (good in my view), really reminds me of what the continuation of what TGCD should have been. If honest I was not that in love with NITND, I was much more into TGCD.

This is a surprise to myself. Might be because my wife said it sounds like "My Twin" in places, but the floating sustained melodies are back on here and I love them. It is much more about the music. I am saying a lot about one song, but if this is the last one on the CD I am quietly optomistic that the rest will be better.


I will say however that they are going almost "metal Glitch" with the sound, I think they need to get their head out of Pro Tools a little bit as its influencing their sound a lot - but thats a personal view as its really starting to feel chopped up. I do however think stuff like this is so packed with stuff its hiding the song which takes longer to find on the first few listens.

They want to make it worth the money - I think they feel the EDITING and ideas they do makes that, and to be fair they always do their best and there is enough to make me feel like spending my cash because so few bands make that effort with such style. I do love it but at my musical heart I also feel its a little cold, maybe thats what they want? (But ten Jonas sings into a Valve mic for warmth?? lol! )


But yea, gone of the days of Tonights Music, For My Demons, Evidence - maybe those days are just too boring for them now though as they did all that.

I think that all the odd titles they have some stand out, Viva Emptiness, Dead End Kings, Last Fair Deal Gone down - All great titles as well, this one to me fits into the better titles well. NITND was not such a good title in my view, TGCD was the best (but thats my fav album).

I think we have enough to keep hopeful about this album. I think it maybe better than many think.

 

[Vincent J.]

The words of depression are all too well used up. Someone needs to change this old trend and Katatonia are or someone else must do it soon. My Dying Bride (birds!) have alone killed every dark metaphor there is. Paradise Lost is not far behind. Katatonia, you must lead the way! Of course, save this message and read it again in 3 years time.

All this said, I love every band mentioned in this rant. But just hoping evolution will also hit the doom genre some day too.

Agreed!!

Not saying they should write happy hardcore from now on, but in a way I feel they need to grow up. They do whatever they want and only they know their heart and if they are honest to themselves, but I've been thinking... These are grown men, with families (some have kids), with friends, a great musical career, they like to party... How much can you write about your life being so dark without people starting to question the honesty?
This may sound really bad from my side, but I'm just being honest about what I feel... How about more songs being not so cryptic, introspective, etc. but create some new lyrical ideas... tell us something about how you see the world. What does your life mean to you, whatever... Just brainstorming here. Might be I'm growing out of my Katatonia phase, which I've greatly done the last few years, but I still consider myself a great fan and lover of their music. And from my view the darkness thing is getting a bit overused like MiniMoose said...
Well... I haven't heard the album, so I refrain judgement 'till I hear it in its fullness, but this is my impression.

 

[i aint play this]

I think that if you really have a strong outlook on life, then your world view and personality remains with you. To be honest, there's plenty of shit around, I really don't see people loving each other everyday, and some people are just born without much ambition or natural enthusiasm. Brains also function differently, chemically speaking. Of course you might have good moments in your life, but this is just a song that describes a certain state of mind. It doesn't reflect 100% what a person does in his/her life. I don't think money/success/kids necessarily brings happiness to others. We're constantly aging, fearing death and wondering why we're here. Katatonia seems to be inspired by the negative things around them. They don't ignore them just because "they're successful" or whatever. It's their driving force.

I agree in part with you guys, but only when it comes down to the usage of certain words (dark, darkness, heart, etc), but not when it comes down to feelings. And even if they "don't feel" it anymore, I don't care, they're still doing great music with good existential questions. I try to never "walk in other people's shoes".

 

[the mourner13]

Personally I love the direction they took with Viva Emptiness in the lyrics. It was more story telling and conceptional which makes it more natural because you don't have to force yourself to believe in that they feel what they write. You feel like they tell you a beautiful but dark story. I also don't feel so good with the new style of lyrics so much but I still believe somehow they are sincere.

 

[FlawedCoil82]

Has anyone ever played a drinking game to where they take a drink every time the words "dark" or "darkness" are used? Maybe someone who is Irish would stand the best chance?

I hate to say it, but I have to agree with "i aint play this". Everyone is wired differently and grows differently. I don't believe I am super "depressed" person, but I still have a pretty pessimistic outlook on life in general and Katatonia can nail the way I feel very well. I don't know what it would take to make me "happier", but I know money can't bring me happiness; I've never been able to meet the "right girl" in this cursed state who made me feel like she was worth the misery I've gone through while trying to find her and I know having kids sure as Hell won't do it. So I always feel like an outcast trapped inside a world I can not understand and the ways of a society that I have no interest in joining. I do find a little comfort in knowing there are a few other people out there who also feel like they are trapped and being consumed by life and having no idea how (nor the motivation) to escape or adapt. Katatonia's message is delivered in the most beautiful/comforting way imaginable, while other bands similar to them who may deliver the same message, do so in a much less appealing way, so I think that is why I connect so much more to Katatonia than any other band.

 

[i aint play this]

^lol don't hate to agree with me, man. Sorry for insulting you like I did a few days ago. I'll try not to be a prick next time.

and I genuinely agree with your whole post, tbh. If anything, Katatonia has become less "emo" (don't kill me) and more nihilistic on the last few albums.

 

[i aint play this]

I dunno I fucking love misery

 

[Anthony]

Agreed!!

Not saying they should write happy hardcore from now on, but in a way I feel they need to grow up.

Agreed!! =)
And I hate when they call Katatonia "masters of melancholy". It sounds like writing sad depressed songs is profession like barber or shoemaker. And what I disliked in TLCD and NITND was feeling they found that sad note that guaranees sad mood for listener and they use it on every album. That's why I am waiting for new, non-metal steps from Katatonia. And I can wait all my life=)

 

[Silent paragon]

Do we have this conversation about Tool influences every time a new album is released?

 

[MiniMoose]

I aint play this, flawedcoil, Klosure and Vincent J and every other poster post my post (great sentence!), I agree more with myself when I add your posts.

The reason I think, why all the bands who are into the "dark" genre write the same lyrics over and over are probably because they end up with the same conclution: When I feel down and depressed, these words hit me and sadly...damn it, they do hit the place they need to. But still, even with this in mind, I really hope they can take a step away from the those old well walked trenches/roads (mind patterns!!) and just be brave and sure, many will always complain about bands doing something that doesn't fit their place, but every bloody time, I'm happy about it when some time has passed. I'm still happy about MDB and PL's periods where they've gone electronic and just out of their shoes and press their own boundaries. They've all really jumped back into some seriously big boots and I'm pretty sure it will take something huge to manage to take them off again, but 34.788% or whatever it was called was such a breath of fresh air. Katatonia have always picked up on these things and stayed one step ahead of the other bands. But now, what to do...what to do..! Not overthinking things would be good, but I'm sure Katatonia thinks about these things, but focus more on the music itself and probably just accept now that this is their thing and it works. Still, hope you give it a little thought next time...gadget..Jonas and co.

Btw, I think this album will be close to their best, musically speaking. A combo of NITND and TGCD is the perfect combo...if you throw in a piece of something completely new.

Ps; the drinking game is something I've wanted to play my whole life. Add words like: Angel, dark, death, dead, falling, river etc and you're passed out before you've come
through half a Katatonia, PL or MDB cd. Almost wish I was back in my early twenties again. Before Ritalin...nah...too chaotic and dark.

Silent Paragon: I do believe the answer is; yes!

 

[i aint play this]

The Tool comparison thing is so old, that I can't help but ignore it. Most of you are oblivious to the fact that the Anders and Jonas have been mentioning Tool as an influence since the Last Fair Deal Gone Down days. That's right, go and read the interviews from that era. Influence? yes, without a doubt. Are you entitled to think Tool is shit? yes, without a doubt.