Almost 30 years have passed since Katatonia from the Stockholm death metal underground blossomed. Founder duo Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström have continued to develop the band's music towards progressive rock and beyond. Their eleventh album "City Burials" stands for tradition as well as for the will to constantly discover new things.
After "The Fall Of Hearts" (2016) Katatonia took an official break. However, the band did not rest completely, as singer and composer Jonas Renkse admits in an interview: He also used the time off to work on the follow-up album "City Burials" without external pressure.
eclipsed: What were you guys doing during the break?
Jonas Renkse: We have written and recorded a new album with Bloodbath and played some concerts. Putting Katatonia on ice opened up another perspective for us. But I didn't really take a break, I kept on writing music for Katatonia. I simply enjoy it.
In expectation of a Katatonia album, Fan has always been looking forward to an uncompromising suffering sound bath. But at some point there are no more new mixtures; the range of narcotic, morbid-sweet bath additives is finite. The Swedish dark prog metallers must have guessed this with their work "Dead End Kings": Instead of a regular successor, they pushed the deconstruction with "Dethroned & Uncrowned", followed by a tour on which other Katatonia tracks shone in light versions.
There is nothing left of the death metal roots and the growl singing that could still be heard on their 1993 debut "Dance Of December Souls". One can compare the evolution of Katatonia with that of her compatriots Opeth. In 2003 they had their commercial breakthrough with "Viva Emptiness". Creative stagnation has always been a foreign word for the band from Stockholm, which is why they don't shy away from experiments like on the last recording "Dethroned & Uncrowned". On the current album "Fall Of Hearts" a warmer sound has surprisingly crept in. Singer Jonas Renkse and guitarist Anders "Blakkheim" Nyström tell us how this happened.
eclipsed: "The Fall Of Hearts" sounds more concentrated than your last album. A conscious effect?
