Katatonia

Sky Void of Stars

Katatonia's new LP 'Sky Void of Stars' is the next addition to my slow exposure to metal music, and this one is unfortunately not doing anything for me.

I was hoping to hear something a little more visceral from this album, but Katatonia instead comes out a little flat and repetitive. I never got that feeling of adreneline or amazement, and instead just felt like I was sitting through this album as a chore. It's purely mid, maybe a little varience in vocals or overall tone would help switch ... read more

Sky Void of Stars is good. Very very good and stuff. The emotions conveyed on this album are extremely potent and the instumentals work them out into a truly honey-like experience. I do have to admit that vocals are a bit generic, and the music certainly could've standed out a lot more, but that's pretty much it. Depending on how much more albums come out this year, this record may or may not be in the Best Of list, but as of now, it's definitely worth your time.

Best Tracks: Impermanence, ... read more

Katatonia está de volta pro lançamento de seu 13º álbum de estúdio, o “Sky Void of Stars”.

Esse disco reflete aquilo que a gente vê com bastante bandas antigas. Com o passar do tempo, vai caindo de qualidade.
Álbum é bem entediante em toda seus longos 50 minutos. Os riffs são bem simples e chatos, e o vocal Jonas Renkse é bem desanimador.

Awesome album. The band sticks to one idea without ever tiring it out. They show off their technical skill without ever overplaying. The lyrics are well written and the vocalist sounds great. This is everything a Katatonia record should be in 2023.

Edit: 90 down to an 80. Still a really good album, but on repeated listens, it is a little one-note.

This record so forgettable and boring it's honestly impressive. I just finished listening to it and I literally don't even remember anything from it. It's competently made and that's all it has going for it, not sure why the reviews are so positive cause this shit is so ass.

Aha, here we go. This is going to be a very serious comment. As someone who has mastered the entire discography of Katatonia quite a lot, I think I have the right to make this comment.
First of all, I was very curious about how the critical votes were given. Is the album bad? No. But is it wonderful? It's not either. Can we say that this is one of the best albums of Katatonia, no. So, what is 90 points awarded for? Weird.
As for my album review, they continue on the path they drew for ... read more

I always go into Katatonia with a renewed sense of hope whenever they release a new project, maybe this is the time they make an album as good or even as better as The Great Cold Distance, a project that had such a distinct sound and identity. Unfortunately, we're always given a project like TGCD but never as good and never as innovative, worse still, they tend to be repetitive and stale.
I did enjoy some tracks like Austerity and Impermanence.
Here's to the next album cycle of hope and ... read more

Katatonia - Sky Void of Stars

Genre: Progressive Metal
Country: Sweden

Final Verdict: 73% (Very Good Album)
Yearly Ranking: 4th / 44

Highlight: Sclera (added to my 2023 best of)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7FOU42aS4o

Made me think of:
Anathema
Opeth
Porcupine Tree

Trying to think of things to say about this as I'm listening, and I don't really have too much to say other than that it's really well-produced alternative metal with strong prog metal influences, with vocals that soar above the other instruments in a way that reminds me of post-reunion Alice in Chains (maybe it's the doom metal influence in both). It's really good, but I'm biased because this is the exact kind of alternative metal that I've loved since I was a teenager. That's not to say it ... read more

Too glossy and commercial, especially the choice of vocal melodies and the production of the vocals in general.

Generic for sure but a long way from being trash either, so ho hum. Not a patch on their early style.

While not the most memorable metal album ever this a HUGE upgrade from City Burials, far more character and interesting riffs, this feels like what that album should've been

Nothing out of the ordinary, but can't say it's a bad album either, I quite enjoyed it (not as much as I would like, but it is what it is)

FAV TRACKS: Impermanence, Sclera

I've never listened to this band before, apparently, they've been around for a minute, if this is how they sound this far into their career I have to hear what they sound like in their prime. This project reminds me a lot of ghost, or sleep token with the very theatrical feel to it, and I really vibe with it. I didn't like the vocals at first, I thought they sounded to clean (I had that problem with ghost and sleep token too though), but they grew on me a lot. Sky void of stars is the first ... read more

not entirely my favorite prog metal sound but I still like some things going on here, especially in Impermanence

Katatonia really are a consistent, solid band. Despite being under the label of metal they pull in a lot more elements of heavy and hard rock in their palette, and their vocals are softer and more melodic than their contemporaries which might bring in a different kind of audience to like this record, it still has the drive and the structure that prog metal fans will love and continually come back to.

Not really much more to say, just a tip of the cap to a band that is able to deliver solid ... read more

Metal progressivo com um vocal mais melódico? Sign me in!

Mas no geral, acho que, apesar de bom, nada me marca muito,

ᴅɪꜱᴄʟᴀɪᴍᴇʀ: ᴛʜɪꜱ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ ɪꜱ ʙᴀꜱᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ᴏᴘɪɴɪᴏɴ. ɪᴛ ᴍᴀʏ ʙᴇ ᴡᴇɪʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴏʀ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀꜱ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴀɴ ᴏᴘɪɴɪᴏɴ. ɪᴛ ꜱʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇ ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ ꜱᴇʀɪᴏᴜꜱʟʏ. ɪ'ᴍ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴛʀʏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ɴᴇᴡ ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄ ᴏʀ ᴄᴀᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ.

1 Austerity - ... read more

kinda samey and long winded at points

While I'm not a huge fan of Metal music overall, besides some artists like Rob Zombie & Type O Negative, this album was a decent enough surprise. I don't think it's anything special and and it is kind of a deja-vú at times, but it worked enough for me to come out of this record enjoying it.

Favorite Song: Atrium
Least Favorite Song: Austerity

Whether they’re going full gloom, murky, bleak, Doom Metal, melancholic Alternative Metal or Dark and Somber Prog, Katatonia is a band that absolutely never fails to intrigue and delight me. Their enticing, unique blend of alternative metal and others is a mix I wholeheartedly hold dearly and love very much to this day, years after discovering their poignant and beautiful sound, and while this and probably any album still to come, for me, won’t ever top Brave Murder Day, it ... read more

The songs I liked were on the verge of something worth coming back to but never breaks out of the "linear" progression of this prog. metal record.

In one ear and out the other for me.

Not doing much for me

A lot of good stuff here on the new Katatonia longplay. I must admit that it is not groundbreaking record, with no extraordinary melodies and lyrics, but still fun to listen its sound. The latter song seems to be my favourite from the first listen. Might come back to this record in the future though.