Track Listing
1. I break 2. Stalemate 3. Deadhouse 4. Relention 5. Cold ways 6. Gone 7. Last resort 8. Nerve 9. Saw you drown 10. Instrumental 11. Distrust Year: 1998 Label: Century Media - Official Site |
Katatonia - 'Discouraged ones' - By M. Freeman
Gone are the death metal growls, in are the harmonies and melodies of the new age Katatonia as a turn in directions signals a new beginning for Sweden's finest. Their debut disc, 'Dance of December Souls', was, and remains a landmark in the doom genre. The album brought to the attention of the world Katatonia's original style of playing; incorporating layer upon layer of simple harmonies with slow, complex drumming, and vocals that boast a variety of deep, and often dark emotions. Katatonia return to the scene stripped of the death metal approach and instead throw in hypntoic guitaring and sorrow-filled music which never lets up its emotionally fulfilling and stimulating aura. It may take several listens to fully grasp what the band were trying to achieve with this effort, but it becomes all too apparent with each progressive experience. The atmosphere Katatonia have created is not just mournful, that of much of their early work, but instead complete and utter despair which borders on indifference. Before, there was hope, now, there is nothing, a calm acceptance of future fate sums up the feel of the album. With tracks like 'Deadhouse' and 'Relention' Katatonia have produced songs that manage to hold a simple, and monotonous sound, yet it never bores. There is a weakness in Jonas Renske's voice for much of the album, which was only to become both confident and cleanly sung in the bands later albums, which build on this new found sound tremendously. The repetitive riffs, while wonderfully crafted, are a sign of things to come from the band and only upon listening to the album can the listener accept that Katatonia have made a truly magnificent album which was later to be followed up with increasingly melodic masterpieces. Metal Obsessive Grade: 78% |