Katatonia albums are strange for me. I always start them expecting something mind-blowing, but they never are. They usually end up being solid records with a few highlights that really worm under my skin, though. Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State is no different. The album releases through Napalm Records on June 6th.
The band has been through many changes through the years, but I think the latest is the most important one in a while. The lineup is now Jonas Renkse on vocals, Niklas Sandin on bass, Daniel Moilanen on drums, Nico Elgstrand on guitar, and Sebastian Svalland on guitar. The exit of founding guitarist/composer Anders Nyström is important, but mainly over the last few albums since he stopped composing some time ago.
The band’s sound is essentially the same as City Burials and Sky Void of Stars, but add on the meatier guitars of, say, Dead End Kings. This album has fewer instances of electronica and more riffs, but I will say it’s not a huge change, just enough for me to notice. The writing has been on Jonas for a few years, so effervescent songs with interesting titles are still the norm, but you’ll hear more guitar, though the spacey and floaty portions are here, too.
And the album plays like most records from this band, for me. I typically adore the single but fail to find anything on the album that lives up to it. Off the top of my head, I loved “Dead Letters” from Dead End Kings, but didn’t care for the rest. I loved “Old Heart Falls” from The Fall of Hearts, “Lacquer” from City Burials, and “Birds” from Sky Void of Stars (though I adored the bonus track “Absconder”, too). So, yeah, I usually get pumped for their albums but end up sticking mostly with the singles in the long term.
For Nightmares, I absolutely adore “Lilac”. I love the riffy portions, the weird chorus, and the reserved portion in the second half. Love it all! But if you’re looking for a better song than “Lilac” here, I personally don’t think you’ll find one. Sure, some are close. I like “Wind of No Change”, a piece with some somber monastic choir vocals, a tongue-in-cheek chorus, and a gritty tempo. It’s really good. I also appreciate “Efter Solen” (After the Sun), which is sung in Swedish and is the one electronica-heavy song on the album. I really like the last couple minutes and how it leans into the electronic sound. You know what? I also like the opener “Thrice”, which sort of feels like a cousin to “Lilac”, as it’s heavy on guitar and the last few minutes are pretty cool with how dark and gothic they feel.
The rest of the songs? They’re all good, but I have a hard time distinguishing between them. There isn’t a weak song, necessarily, just a bunch that sound similar. If you love the vibe of the first song, you’ll probably enjoy that vibe throughout the album—-I hope so, because it doesn’t change very often. There are some moments that are memorable, like the squirrely little keyboard melody on “The Light Which I Bleed” or the chorus on “The Liquid Eye”. But the rest of the album is tame and enjoyable—I can’t fault it, but I can’t rave about it, either. In fact, I can’t even describe it in detail. I thought more listens would change that, but this hasn’t been the case so far.
Katatonia are still here and making good music. If you loved the last two albums, you’ll like this one, too. It’s dark in its own melodic way, and there’s more guitar, which is nice. For me, “Lilac” is the best song on the album, but the rest are still worth hearing.
________________
Find Katatonia online:
________________
________________
The PROG Mind 