new song

[stefan86]

I think all the newer albums are pretty much 50/50 metal and rock. It's just that DO/TD are more doomish in the guitars which results in that kinda sound, while the rhythmic ultra produced modern guitars come across as more metal.

 

[M3]

Im relectant to say anything as I respect the band so much, so this is just my opinion and certainly not fact.

It seems like alot of the feeling is gone, as if they tried so hard to evolve their sound that its not natural anymore. The vocals do not really match the music, the music is alot more aggressive but the vocals seem too calm almost as if the music wasnt felt when the vocals were being done. The riffs dont really flow, the timing and rythyms feel as if they were thought about a bit too much. The rythyms on TD or LFDGD are much more simple, but feel much more natural and the vocals sound like the were really felt too. Thats all I can think of at the moment.

I actually like the contrast between the heavy music and Jonas' vocals. What I have found, however, is that the last two albums have taken much longer for me to really understand than their mid-period material. The first album I heard by Katatonia was Viva Emptiness in 2003. While I did like a few of the songs, I just didn't like it that much. So I put it away for several months until I by chance had the privilege to listen to Rainroom. After that I was really impressed and ended up stumbling upon a sample of Teargas. I decided to give Viva Emptiness another go and that's where it clicked.

Although LFDGD is still my favorite, the last two albums grew on me with time, but neither of them were totally accessible at first listen. The earlier albums were more focused on the guitar melodies, while the vocals weren't as prominent. The last couple of albums have contained stronger vocals, but the guitar melodies weren't the same. After several years of the new style, I can say that I'm okay with it. Of course, you're completely entitled to your own opinion. So if you don't like it, that's fine.

 

[discouraged1]

BlueSky, i mostly agree. i hope the new one will be their most diverse yet - having, say, everything from unfurl to july via darkness coming, black session and teargas

 

[bevulf]

What I like the most in this song is that you have to listen it more and more to reveal and understand all of it

 

[wankerness]

I wasn't a huge fan of TGCD, it sounded like a slicker and more inconsistent version of Viva Emptiness, like they took the B-sides from the album and remastered them so they sounded better than the A-sides. Still, it had some good songs and some interesting ideas, and did have some clear progression here and there from the VE sound. This seems like a development further in the style of TGCD, but much more confident. There's a lot more going on harmonically in some sections of this than in anything on TGCD, and it's nice hearing guitar solos again. The production is also awesome.

Is the song actually called FORSAKER? It sounds like the lyrics are saying Forsaken, I'm guessing the label misspelled it by accident.

One thing I must say, though - does EVERYONE rip off Meshuggah these days? I bet Chaosphere is going to top "most influential metal album" lists sooner or later.

 

[Vincent J.]

I wasn't a huge fan of TGCD, it sounded like a slicker and more inconsistent version of Viva Emptiness, like they took the B-sides from the album and remastered them so they sounded better than the A-sides. Still, it had some good songs and some interesting ideas, and did have some clear progression here and there from the VE sound. This seems like a development further in the style of TGCD, but much more confident. There's a lot more going on harmonically in some sections of this than in anything on TGCD, and it's nice hearing guitar solos again. The production is also awesome.

Is the song actually called FORSAKER? It sounds like the lyrics are saying Forsaken, I'm guessing the label misspelled it by accident.

One thing I must say, though - does EVERYONE rip off Meshuggah these days? I bet Chaosphere is going to top "most influential metal album" lists sooner or later.

I'm pretty sure it's forsaker.
And I think ripping off Meshuggah gives Meshuggah a bit too much credit.
It's like saying everyone who uses the major scale rips off Bach.
Meshuggah completely went in depth in that certain style, but I think it's more of a style that Meshuggah use than something they created

 

[wankerness]

So who were Meshuggah ripping off when they made Destroy Erase Improve and Chaosphere? I think they pretty much invented that style. And hate them or not, I think pretty much anyone who plays like that these days has heard Meshuggah and is using them as an influence. The intro to the new Katatonia song most definitely sounds Meshuggah influenced.

 

[BlueSky]

I can see the similarities between the intro of both Future Breed Machine, and Forsaker. Aside from that I wouldn't have made the connection.

 

[MadTinus]

The only possible similarity I can hear is this 'wee wee wee' sound in the beginning..

Anyway, the song has sunk in and I quite like it!

 

[Brave.Archangel]

I dunno... The opening riff to Forsaker is in 4/4 with rhythmic syncopation on the second 'dadada'... Meshuggah's riffs are usually all like that, except counted in 8th notes. All in all, the opening riff to Forsaker is syncopated, and sort of (not really) complicated. There are plenty of metal bands that use syncopation (not only Meshuggah!) as well so really the influence could have been from anywhere.

 

[LostinReverie]

It's taken me a while to really digest the new track, but that is nothing new when it comes to Katatonia. When I was first introduced to them, I really didn't know what to think; I was infinitely curious, and something attracted me to the sound, but other than that, I wasn't blown away.

Then you sit, and you listen, and you listen, and you unravel each wave of emotion and depth, come to "know" the song, and it suddenly begins to make sense. Well, not just make sense in the way math might, but in the depths of your soul. You know where they are coming from.

The new song was like that for me. It's so complex, and so deep, that it didn't even stick in my head until after 20th or so listen. By now, it's a piece of art.
I don't really judge Kat from one record to the next, because all that they do is beautiful to me. It's just a matter of understanding.

 

[noctambulant]

I dunno... The opening riff to Forsaker is in 4/4 with rhythmic syncopation on the second 'dadada'... Meshuggah's riffs are usually all like that, except counted in 8th notes. All in all, the opening riff to Forsaker is syncopated, and sort of (not really) complicated. There are plenty of metal bands that use syncopation (not only Meshuggah!) as well so really the influence could have been from anywhere.

That would be something hard to beleive, considering meshugga's hype.

 

[Brave.Archangel]

That would be something hard to beleive, considering meshugga's hype.

The use of odd time signatures and complex rhythms nothing new to music. Meshuggah do it in an extreme stye, and do it very well. Although many of their songs sound mundane, their delivery of seemingly monotonous boring riffs are executed in a way which is very advanced musically. No one writes songs like meshuggah, but their tricks are as old as the book gets.

 

[wankerness]

I dunno... The opening riff to Forsaker is in 4/4 with rhythmic syncopation on the second 'dadada'... Meshuggah's riffs are usually all like that, except counted in 8th notes. All in all, the opening riff to Forsaker is syncopated, and sort of (not really) complicated. There are plenty of metal bands that use syncopation (not only Meshuggah!) as well so really the influence could have been from anywhere.

Yeah, you're kinda right, it's just the extreme downtune plus the guitar tone plus the way the drums are the 4/4 cymbals +bass drum following every guitar note PLUS the fact that Meshuggah are one of the best-known bands from the same region as Katatonia makes it unlikely they didn't at least think of Meshuggah when writing/recording it. Whatever, it's good whether it's Meshuggah-influenced or not.

 

[BlueSky]

I dunno... The opening riff to Forsaker is in 4/4 with rhythmic syncopation on the second 'dadada'... Meshuggah's riffs are usually all like that, except counted in 8th notes.

Playing in common time while syncopating at the end of every other measure is as common as it gets. The difference is Meshuggah get way screwier with their syncopated notations.

 

[stefan86]

The "Forsaker" riff is definitely more friendly on the ears.

 

[BlueSky]

Yeah, you're kinda right, it's just the extreme downtune plus the guitar tone plus the way the drums are the 4/4 cymbals +bass drum following every guitar note PLUS the fact that Meshuggah are one of the best-known bands from the same region as Katatonia makes it unlikely they didn't at least think of Meshuggah when writing/recording it. Whatever, it's good whether it's Meshuggah-influenced or not.

That low chug riff in Forsaker is A# so I'm guessing all they did is drop their low C. Hell Korn's been chugging along in A since before anyone even heard of Meshuggah. A Metal band playing in 4/4 where the bass, and drums follows the guitar? Wow, I never heard of that before! You're gonna need a better case than that my friend.

 

[Phoenix5]

I thought Katatonia had been playing drop Bb for quite awhile now....

 

[wankerness]

Maybe a song or two on the last album is in Bb, but definitely nothing on Viva Emptiness or before.

Also, I'm not sure why some people are treating the meshuggah similarity as an insult which must be angrily denied.

 

[Hedon-]

Korn's been chugging along in A since before anyone even heard of Meshuggah.

what the fuck