Katatonia is underrated

[Esteban]

I discovered Katatonia recently, and I have to admit that after the first few listens of "Tonight's Decision" I thought they were nothing special. After a couple of months though, I've realized that Katatonia is a great band. These guys don't do fancy stuff or write complicated songs, they keep it simple and with lots of feeling, and it sounds great.

I've heard their new album is probably their best, any thoughts?

 

[The Devil's Steed]

Their new album is pretty good, but I've heard their older stuff is better. Not sure, I got Brave Murder Day in the mail today, so I'll find out.

 

[SculptedCold]

I think they're a lil overrated from what i've heard. I've only got Last Fair Deal Gone Down and....yesm, it's got a lot of feeling and some awesome chorus melodies in it, but at the end of the day, it's really no better than pop music. While I am swayed by tunes like Teargas and Tonight's Music and stuff, i'm horrified by how awful the songwriting (in terms of structure and variation) is. Every song is structured almost exactly the same, they're nothing but brief, repeated verses, catchy choruses repeated over and over and over again, and the tiniest of crappy bridges that last about 5 seconds and don't develop the songs at all which lead into the chorus getting repeated 3 times again...and then the songs just stop. They don't end or finish, they're just halted with no finesse whatsoever.

I haven't heard anything from their older albums which I hear forsakes the clean vocals and is heavier...but gah....if the songwriting on LFDGD is anything similar to the earlier stuff...I think i'll stay away!

 

[LuminousAether]

I love their songwriting, personally. It's not complex music, it's music written in sometimes formulaic but often not rock structures. Listen to Teargas, it doesn't follow that structure at all. Or The Future of Speech, that song has one of the most amazing bridges I have heard. My favorite song from that period is Sulfur off the Teargas ep (I believe). It has one of the absolute best endings for a song that I have ever heard.

But overall, Katatonia's best album is Discouraged Ones. It's their darkest and most plaintive album, possibly excepting some of the songs from Tonight's Decision. Katatonia are not a happy band, they are a band that could possibly inspire you to suicide as they are one of the bleakest bands around. Their earlier material wasn't all that awesome, until Brave Murder Day which was one of the 10 best metal albums ever (I do not consider Discouraged Ones and the rest to be metal). So no, they are not overrated at all, but I am hard to call them underrated as most reviews bestow huge amounts of praise on them.

 

[Profanity]

Katatonia rules.

 

[None_So_Vile]

ive got viva emptiness, last fair deal gone down, tonight's decision and dance of december souls, all excellent in my view

 

[HarmonyDies....]

Brave Murder Day.

 

[Thrashard]

my favorites are DISCOURAGED ONES and DANCE OF DECEMBER SOULS, i also like BRAVE MURDER DAY
i could never get into TONIGHT'S DECISION, their older songs are better IMO, the newer ones are like pop music, too soft.

in the fall of '94 i have had very bad depressions and thoughts of suicide. for some days i was lying in the bed and listened to Katatonia's DANCE OF DECEMBER SOULS all the time. they were my favorite band back in '94, so much feeling in their songs. Katatonia definitely is no music for the happy mind.

 

[no country for old wainds]

Katatonia are an excellent band. Their old stuff is atmospheric and it features Mikael Akerfeldt's growled vocals. New stuff is less heavy, yes, but the music is emotional and still very bleak. None of their albums sound similar, I'd recommend all of them. Also, Katatonia have some of the best EPs I've ever heard.

 

[J.]

I'd just go for Dance of December Souls, Brave Murder Day, Sounds of Decay, and Discouraged Ones.

 

[LuminousAether]

And leave out Tonight's Decision, Last Fair Deal Gone Down, Teargas, and Viva Emptiness? Hell no, they are almost as good as Discouraged Ones and Brave Murder Day and FAR better than Dance of December Souls and Sounds of Decay.

 

[J.]

Everything after and including TD blows. It's boring as hell.

 

[LuminousAether]

What's boring to you is cathartic, beautiful, and inspiring to me.

 

[Immortal Death]

My 3rd/4th favorite band... I fucking love Katatonia!

 

[Incendiare]

KATATONIA FUCKING ROCKS!

Hehe, yeah, one of my favourite bands.

 

[Krilons Resa]

I wouldnt say they are underrated ...they have always had rave reviews. I have em all, but am partial to Tonight's Decision and Brave Murder Day.

 

[no country for old wainds]

What's boring to you is cathartic, beautiful, and inspiring to me.

Absolutely. I could never find new Katatonia boring.

 

[Esteban]

What's boring to you is cathartic, beautiful, and inspiring to me.

Exactly. Some people posted they don't like Katatonia for the same reasons I do like them. Matter of taste.

 

[Necros]

I'd just go for Dance of December Souls, Brave Murder Day, Sounds of Decay, and Discouraged Ones.

I would agree with that list, BMD easily being their best album for me. Recent albums have been very mediocre affairs, however newest album
"viva emptiness" is best effort since Discouraged ones and well worth getting to complete that list.

In the world of dark metal KATATONIA are well known and get lots of press and attention............look at forum here and number of posts, they are not an "underrated" band.

 

[Jondur]

I loved Brave Murder Day and I love Tonights Decision but after that it's all a bit samey. Plus they are possibly one of the worst live bands I've ever seen. But still.... some good songs and a good atmosphere.