I always knew it’s hard to write about something you deeply love…now it’s time to get rid of the fear and let my feelings flow through these lines. For those who know me from before publications, Katatonia has a special place in my heart since long time ago. I never did a review of an album entirely but I thought ‘City Burials‘ worths it.
It gave me a different kind of feeling when I first listened to it. I saw this review as a challenge so it was a hell of a one. With a notorious background, Katatonia changed their sound during years from their blackened death doom to what we listen nowadays which tends to be a more melancholic progressive sound. Despite this change which was actually suitable for the band, Katatonia remains faithful to their signature sound.
‘City Burials’ might be an emotional journey through love, despair, loss and life. A bit more ‘rough’ or much more dynamic in the beginning, which has a more slow sound for the other half of the album. ‘Behind the blood‘ is one of those songs which sticks to you for a long period of time..might be my favourite from the album together with Vanishers, a collaboration with Anni Bernhard of Full of Keys band. Her soothing voice together with Jonas have a perfect match, as they sing in harmony and Anni takes the haunting part of the song with a strong powerful chorus.
About ‘The winter of our passing‘ I could say that no matter how much they evolve from the sound point of view, it’s always going to end up sounding like Katatonia, something you would recognize from far, far away.
I am not going to say that this album is a masterpiece, but it’s something different, a new sound which might get your attention or not, with a lot of influences from the electronic rock genre. Fresh, playful and depressive at the same time, judging by the lyrics Katatonia is the vivid truth that a band can improve with age even after more than 30 years of activity (starting back then as Melancholium from 1987 to 1991). After that hiatus, and after the Night is the new Day tour, Katatonia managed to continue their activity and let the music flow maybe in a much more personal result. Considering the lyrics, I will name them simply melancholic.
As I already mentioned, ‘City Burials’ offers some totally new sounds for the band especially on the electronic elements sprinkled here and there through the album. I would give this album 9/10 not because it’s “unusual” by the sound but because sometimes I think if you’re stuck somewhere in between and you have to choose an album from a specific band which is closest to your heart after that it’s kinda hard to not compare the future ones with it.
Cover photo via Niko Savic
Miruna Vitriol
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