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Napalm Records [Release date: 20.01.23]
Ever since Swedish behemoths Katatonia de-coupled themselves from the doom-metal train to oblivion with the ‘Night Is The New Day’ album way back in 2009, they have been the flag-bearers of a genre best described as prog/metal melancholia – gathering a deserved reputation, album upon album, amongst both metal-heads and progressive rock devotees, as one of the finest bands on the planet.
‘Sky Void Of Stars’ is their fifth studio album since NITND and I have to admit that my shoulders slumped and I thought “WTF” as opening track ‘Austerity’ roared out of the speakers and kicked my arse into next week – my God, they’ve deserted their millions of new-found acolytes and reverted to type with thundering drums and thrash guitar…Noooooo…
But wait, despite the headlong charge of the opening bars, this is, thankfully, the Katatonia we’ve been captivated by for over a decade and testament to a band capable of change without betraying their core values.
‘Sky Void Of Stars’ is heavier generally than more recent outings but it’s almost as if the music and its subject matter demand this.
The desolate and mournful tropes are still present and correct but are given more significance due to the surrounding power.
This is best illustrated on ‘Colossal Shade’ whose powerful riffing is soothed by Jonas Renkse’s always-in-control vocal and ‘Author’ where the immense power is juxtaposed with an almost placid verse.
The melancholic ‘Opaline’ has an anthemic chorus – heavy, but never losing sight of the melody, as is the case with ‘Birds’, ‘Impermanence’ and ‘No Beacon To Illuminate Our Fall’ – the latter being a real standout and an exempli gratia of the whole album’s ethos.
Another standout is ‘Drab Moon’, an intensely sorrowful track sounding very similar to tracks on ‘The Fall Of Hearts’ – one of Katatonia’s finest albums.
In summary, this is the sound of a great band getting even better – re-inventing themselves yet instantly recognizable.
Renkse’s vocals have never sounded better and Anders Nystrom’s guitaring is just sensational - backed up with equally brilliant contributions from Roger Ojersson (guitar), Niklas Sandin (bass) and the bowel-loosening drumming of Daniel Moilanen.
The album is a heavy-hearted affair from beginning to end and yet uncannily life-affirming – due, in no small part, to the brilliance of the musicianship but, primarily, to the inherent quality of the music itself.
Despondency never sounded this good – ever, and yet I would defy any metal / progressive rock fan to finish listening to it with anything other than a smile on their face and a knowing nod to the brilliance within.
Exceptional. *****
Review by Alan Jones
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