Artist: Katatonia
Album: Sky Void of Stars
Label: Napalm
Release Date: 01/20/2023
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Considering that this is Katatonia’s 12th album you’d think they’d be losing steam over the years but Sky Void of Stars sounds like a band hungry for the road. Energetic isn’t a word normally used in the confines of doom and gloom heavy metal but this album is full of it. Electrifying performances all around for the band. Every member shines through the mix and often brightly.
Spacey and atmospheric are adjectives used to describe every Katatonia release but here that sound is made real through pure mastery of their craft. More lead guitar work than ever, perfect in the pocket drums, bass that cuts through the sound so perfectly and the most melancholic vocals yet, Sky Void of Stars is a masterwork of its genre.
The gloomy wizardry of Author, to the soaring chorus of Birds Katatonia proves that as a band that has been around for over 30 years they haven’t had to change much to stay relevant and show that their sound has always been a little ahead of its time. Singer and songwriter Jonas Renkse shows he is at the absolute top of his game here. Often extremely progy and expertly executed guitar work keeps the music interesting to listen to through out, with memorable solos and tricky time signature work.
Katatonia has little to prove in the way of showing they are a mainstay in modern metal. Sky Void of Stars is a perfect example of this staying power. After so long that a band could sound this confident and powerful after all these years is awe inspiring, and while it’s not a departure from their sound it is completely consistent with their other work. Showing that with each consecutive release Katatonia is growing and not slowing down in the least.
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