I'm writing for Vampire Magazine (www.vampire-magazine.com). We started in 1997 as a written magazine, but took the cyber highway lately. Anyway. A couple of months ago we wanted to make (short) classic reviews. It would be helpful finding more about your favourite bands in their old days. Here, on the Katatonia forum, I offen read people asking about how the band sounded back then. So here are some classic Katatonia reviews I've written. If you care...
Perhaps it would be nice when other old reviews could be posted here? Just a thought...
JHVA ELOHIM METH... THE REVIVAL
Jhva Elohim Meth is the very first demo of Katatonia released in 1991. One year later the recently awakened Dutch label Vic Records added some instrumental knickknacks and presented Jhva Elohim Meth The Revival. Back then its only two members Blackheim (Anders Nyström) and Lord Seth (Jonas Renske) were heavily painted and evil looking. Magnificent and suicidal melancholic songs like Without god, Palace of frost and The northern silence elucidate the bands message clearly. One year later Katatonias legendary Dance of December souls would see the light of day. God is dead and shall forever be!
DANCE OF DECEMBER SOULS
No people, it wasnt Forgotten Tomb or Shining that invented the so called suicide metal. And neither it was Katatonia, but Im damn sure their first album Dance of December souls in 1993 (the magical year find out why yourself) was of great inspiration for the life robbing black metal genre. They may have started out as a war painted band, Katatonia surely arent black metal orientated as many people may expect from white faced members. But on songs like Without God or Gateways of bereavement Katatonia blend extremely sad melodies with a slightly touch of black metal. Their capacity lies in the pure melancholy they bring. Tomb of insomnia is an example of a long epic, acoustic filled and totally distressed song. Most people into the nowadays Katatonia will not believe its them when listening to Dance of December souls. Pity they didnt feel the magic back then. When I heard Katatonia the first time they had just released the album and it was king winter. The coldness, the atmosphere, One hour of pristine fucking magic!
FOR FUNERALS TO COME...
One year after the fabulous debut Dance of December souls Katatonia return to show off their second EP. As no other band Katatonia manage to create such an atmosphere of melancholy the emptiness inside is bigger than ever. Only two real songs on For funerals to come . Funeral wedding could be instantly taken from the debut album and Shades of emerald fields is a bit shorter and more up tempo, yet not that different from the typical Katatonia style back then. The two other songs are just instrumental fillers.
For the real Katatonia fans: For funerals to come comes in two editions. The first one with a white logo is limited to only 100 copies (no shit!). And the one with a purple logo is shifted between 3000 and 5000 copies.
BRAVE MURDER DAY
Some bands stay the same throughout their whole existence. Some bands can change their style each record. And some bands evolve naturally without breaking fully with their past. I guess Katatonia is such a band. Their second full length Brave murder day released in 1996 could be called the bands turning point. Its in the middle of the melancholic dreaming guitar lines from before and the sadly more commercial approach after. Albums like Viva emptiness and Last fair deal gone down have introduced the band to a larger public, but let us never forget the great old distressed releases Katatonia wrote. Most remarkable fact is the presence of Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth) on vocals. Those who know his ultra deep grunt also know its so damn perfect on Katatonias music. I like Brave murder day for its melancholic feeling and upbeat songs like Murder. Only minus point is the production of the drums that sound way too clinical and upfront from time to time. But thats just trivial when listening to Brave murder day. A great album from a great band.
DISCOURAGED ONES
Right after Brave murder day Katatonia set for a slightly different sound. Released in 1998 Discouraged ones is the bands first release saying goodbye to the old grunts and screams. From that moment on it are solely Jonas Renske fragile clean vocals expressing the poetry. The first time I heard this new Katatonia I was taken by surprise. But the band had me immediately. Discouraged ones isnt a soft album. Far from. I break, Deadhouse, Saw you drown, the mighty Relention or the very introvert Gone could be the perfect definition for musical melancholy. Discouraged ones is a very, very, very depressing - discouraging album! Perhaps not that high-tech and well produced as all next albums, but they never cached up with the lost atmosphere on this album. In my eyes, you're a lie
Perhaps it would be nice when other old reviews could be posted here? Just a thought...
JHVA ELOHIM METH... THE REVIVAL
Jhva Elohim Meth is the very first demo of Katatonia released in 1991. One year later the recently awakened Dutch label Vic Records added some instrumental knickknacks and presented Jhva Elohim Meth The Revival. Back then its only two members Blackheim (Anders Nyström) and Lord Seth (Jonas Renske) were heavily painted and evil looking. Magnificent and suicidal melancholic songs like Without god, Palace of frost and The northern silence elucidate the bands message clearly. One year later Katatonias legendary Dance of December souls would see the light of day. God is dead and shall forever be!
DANCE OF DECEMBER SOULS
No people, it wasnt Forgotten Tomb or Shining that invented the so called suicide metal. And neither it was Katatonia, but Im damn sure their first album Dance of December souls in 1993 (the magical year find out why yourself) was of great inspiration for the life robbing black metal genre. They may have started out as a war painted band, Katatonia surely arent black metal orientated as many people may expect from white faced members. But on songs like Without God or Gateways of bereavement Katatonia blend extremely sad melodies with a slightly touch of black metal. Their capacity lies in the pure melancholy they bring. Tomb of insomnia is an example of a long epic, acoustic filled and totally distressed song. Most people into the nowadays Katatonia will not believe its them when listening to Dance of December souls. Pity they didnt feel the magic back then. When I heard Katatonia the first time they had just released the album and it was king winter. The coldness, the atmosphere, One hour of pristine fucking magic!
FOR FUNERALS TO COME...
One year after the fabulous debut Dance of December souls Katatonia return to show off their second EP. As no other band Katatonia manage to create such an atmosphere of melancholy the emptiness inside is bigger than ever. Only two real songs on For funerals to come . Funeral wedding could be instantly taken from the debut album and Shades of emerald fields is a bit shorter and more up tempo, yet not that different from the typical Katatonia style back then. The two other songs are just instrumental fillers.
For the real Katatonia fans: For funerals to come comes in two editions. The first one with a white logo is limited to only 100 copies (no shit!). And the one with a purple logo is shifted between 3000 and 5000 copies.
BRAVE MURDER DAY
Some bands stay the same throughout their whole existence. Some bands can change their style each record. And some bands evolve naturally without breaking fully with their past. I guess Katatonia is such a band. Their second full length Brave murder day released in 1996 could be called the bands turning point. Its in the middle of the melancholic dreaming guitar lines from before and the sadly more commercial approach after. Albums like Viva emptiness and Last fair deal gone down have introduced the band to a larger public, but let us never forget the great old distressed releases Katatonia wrote. Most remarkable fact is the presence of Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth) on vocals. Those who know his ultra deep grunt also know its so damn perfect on Katatonias music. I like Brave murder day for its melancholic feeling and upbeat songs like Murder. Only minus point is the production of the drums that sound way too clinical and upfront from time to time. But thats just trivial when listening to Brave murder day. A great album from a great band.
DISCOURAGED ONES
Right after Brave murder day Katatonia set for a slightly different sound. Released in 1998 Discouraged ones is the bands first release saying goodbye to the old grunts and screams. From that moment on it are solely Jonas Renske fragile clean vocals expressing the poetry. The first time I heard this new Katatonia I was taken by surprise. But the band had me immediately. Discouraged ones isnt a soft album. Far from. I break, Deadhouse, Saw you drown, the mighty Relention or the very introvert Gone could be the perfect definition for musical melancholy. Discouraged ones is a very, very, very depressing - discouraging album! Perhaps not that high-tech and well produced as all next albums, but they never cached up with the lost atmosphere on this album. In my eyes, you're a lie
