Katatonia – Sky Void Of Stars 2023, MP3+FLAC, Deluxe w/ bonus trax

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Swedes KATATONIA have been around for over 30 years now. Honestly, we didn’t liked much their early sound and style, but this is one of the few bands from the scene that has been able to change / morph their sound over the years trying to offer something new.

Now KATATONIA 2023 is a mature, elaborated 5-piece of intelligent progressive metal, melodic, focused band as evidenced on their album “Sky Void Of Stars“. Short songs but complex, imaginative, only 50 minutes to express a variety of emotions and excellent musical ideas.
Katatonia, no matter their focus, have always been dark, melancholic metal, but no less melodious and intriguing. “Sky Void Of Stars” is all that, and much more.
There is truly no other band like Katatonia. “Sky Void Of Stars” takes you on an unforgettable journey to the depths of melancholia and far beyond. This is, of course, a dark album, but it shines at times with the brilliance of a supernova. Each song is self-contained and wholly unique, with all 10 tracks (plus a bonus in this Limited Mediabook Edition) still stringing together seamlessly. The unreal sense of atmosphere will keep you hooked all the way through.

This record is like a blissfully vivid hallucination. As always, Katatonia’s poetic lyrics are in a league of their own. The band mines trippy images from such a deep place in the subconscious that there’s nothing predictable or tedious about “Sky Void Of Stars”.

Album opener “Austerity” provides a courting introduction to the record. Crashing through the dark, it convinces with memorable, mind-bending rhythms as it shifts with elaborate guitar riffs that perfectly showcase the musical expertise and experience of the band. Topped off by the dark, conjuring voice of Jonas Renkse and mesmerizing lyricism, the gloomy mood for the album is set.
Songs like “Opaline” and “Drab Moon” fully embrace their melancholic sound while fragile “Impermanence” is accented by futuristic atmosphere.
Like a dark star, these pieces relume the dreariness, creating an ambient auditory experience with memorable hooks while still inducing the crashing sounds of hard guitar riffs and pounding drums.

The experimental mastery of the quintet and their sonic approach is purely vivid, making this album a thrilling sensation. With “Birds”, the artists show off their explosive potential with a quick and energetic sound, proving their genre-defying style. Dazzling drums and heavy guitar riffs reflect the influence of their humble beginnings, while “Atrium” also plays into this highly energetic sense.

KATATONIA is one of a kind in a state of perpetual evolution. Since the last decade the band has been significantly shaping the progressive metal genre while still staying true to their own musical values, they orbit the musical universe – leaving their imprints on the scene.
Highly Recommended

01. Austerity (3:41)
02. Colossal Shade (4:29)
03. Opaline (5:01)
04. Birds (4:09)
05. Drab Moon (4:00)
06. Author (4:17)
07. Impermanence (5:12)
08. Sclera (4:45)
09. Atrium (4:09)
10. No Beacon to Illuminate Our Fall (6:08)
11. Absconder (Bonus Track) (4:48)

- Jonas Renkse / vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Anders "Blackheim" Nystrom / guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
- Niklas Sandin / bass
- Daniel Moilanen / drums
- Roger Ojersson / guitars

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