Katatonia
“Night is the New Day”
Peaceville
katatonia.com
 

AUGUSTA, GA - Before we get the bad news out of the way, I should point what a testament it is to the magnificence of a band like Katatonia that even bad news is sort of a compliment. As the melodic/gothic/doom/pop/metal gurus have gotten more and more popular, their records tend to sound cleaner and cleaner; this does not necessarily mean better—some of the new tracks sound like they were given the once-over by an industrial floor buffer. And they’re not the only band that takes something of a hit by nigh-on immaculate production: Constants’ “The Foundation, The Machine, The Ascension,” also released this year, is drenched as much in studio sheen as it is in oceanic awesomeness. Hell, even Opeth are repeat offenders.

So it’s not like the Swedes are in poor company or anything, and the undeniable brilliance of “Night is the New Day’s” material is usually more than enough to make up for its almost oppressive perfection. No lie, these are some of the best tunes Katatonia has ever, and I mean ever—like “Brave Murder Day” ever—churned out: “Forsaker,” with its out-of-the-gate, glacier-thick riffs and Scandinavian mass-ready melodies, is a lesson in how to not fuck around when opening up an album. Delve deeper to find guitars cascading like freezing rain and Daniel Liljekvist’s drums nailing “Day & then the Shade” to the permafrost, and Jonas Renkse’s vocals harmonizing perfectly with the distinctly Sabbath-like intro of “Nephilim.”

Katatonia have made perfect albums before, and if they’d scale back the knob-twiddling a bit, “Night is the New Day” would follow suit, no problem. Hey goth kid…this is what the grown-ups listen to.