Katatonia, in my mind, have always been among metal's greatest underachievers. That's not to say they haven't released many excellent albums; quite the contrary. But their post Brave Murder Day albums have been brilliant yet deeply flawed, promising greatness but never delivering.
Last Fair Deal Gone Down is a classic example. So many haunting atmospheric riffs let down by uninspired vocals that seem like they are too lazy to write a decent melody. 'My Sweet Nurse' shows what Jonas Renske is capable of and still remains one of Katatonia's finest moments. Either side of this song we have 'Passing Bird', beautiful verses with a highly annoying chorus, and the generally bland 'Don't Tell a Soul'. And that's the story of Katatonia.
Viva Emptiness fixed up the vocal laziness, but in the process the music seemed cheapened (the almost nu-metal sound of 'Ghost of the Sun').
So I didn't have great hopes for The Great Cold Distance. Bands that have been around this long either have already achieved their potential or never will. But Katatonia have proven that theory wrong. This album is a grower. It's highly melodic and very accessible, yet it has many subtleties and I find myself surprised at how endlessly I have been listening to it over the last few months.
The guitars, bass and drums are as solid as always - immaculately produced riffs that seem so delicate yet so powerful. The real improvement comes from Renske whose vocals far surpass anything he has previously done. At first listen they seem almost detached, monotone, restrained and inexpressive. But every note is pitch-perfect, so aching and so fitting of the music. Again, the word subtle comes to mind in describing it. And it's all the more satisfying when Renske does let loose - the chorus of 'July' being a good example. It's not without weak tracks, mainly 'Consternation' and 'The Itch', but that's far fewer than previous albums. And everything else is gold.
9/10
Last Fair Deal Gone Down is a classic example. So many haunting atmospheric riffs let down by uninspired vocals that seem like they are too lazy to write a decent melody. 'My Sweet Nurse' shows what Jonas Renske is capable of and still remains one of Katatonia's finest moments. Either side of this song we have 'Passing Bird', beautiful verses with a highly annoying chorus, and the generally bland 'Don't Tell a Soul'. And that's the story of Katatonia.
Viva Emptiness fixed up the vocal laziness, but in the process the music seemed cheapened (the almost nu-metal sound of 'Ghost of the Sun').
So I didn't have great hopes for The Great Cold Distance. Bands that have been around this long either have already achieved their potential or never will. But Katatonia have proven that theory wrong. This album is a grower. It's highly melodic and very accessible, yet it has many subtleties and I find myself surprised at how endlessly I have been listening to it over the last few months.
The guitars, bass and drums are as solid as always - immaculately produced riffs that seem so delicate yet so powerful. The real improvement comes from Renske whose vocals far surpass anything he has previously done. At first listen they seem almost detached, monotone, restrained and inexpressive. But every note is pitch-perfect, so aching and so fitting of the music. Again, the word subtle comes to mind in describing it. And it's all the more satisfying when Renske does let loose - the chorus of 'July' being a good example. It's not without weak tracks, mainly 'Consternation' and 'The Itch', but that's far fewer than previous albums. And everything else is gold.
9/10
