Katatonia - Night is the new day...
...is possible the greatest "heavy" record I've heard in the last 10 years. Most people know my history with them and also my friendship with the guys. Jonas and I have been best buddies for the last 18 years or so.
Everytime Opeth or Katatonia has a new record we arrange a small private listening party. Usually with myself, Anders and Jonas. For years we've managed to record albums around the same time and had both the new Opeth album and the new Katatonia album played back on the same session. It's always great fun, however disciplined.
You can't talk during playback (death penalty), you listen to the album all the way through twice, and then we have the "comments". Everything is washed down with beer or wine...there might be snacks on the table.
Well, 2 days after the new Katatonia album is mastered here we are, holed up in a friends apartment ready to go through the new masterpiece by Katatonia. And it truly is a masterpiece! I have not been this taken back by an album for a long time. I almost had tears in my eyes. It's an absolutely stunning piece of music! Easily their most progressive and emotional record as far as I'm concerned.
The finale is almost too much to bear. Here we have some guest vocals by Enter the hunt kingpin, Krister Linder (Chris Lancelot to some) and it's quite fucking moving to say the least.
I've always been a fan of Katatonia. Ever since I heard their first demo back in 1991 or 1992, and I thought they sounded like Opeth, haha! This record however is their crown jewel so far.
It's an album that is "more" than the music that's on there.
How often do I plug something that's not from 1971? It gives you an indication where I stand on the matter maybe?
Cheers
Mike
