Katatonia are a Swedish
heavy metal band formed in
Stockholm in 1991 by
Jonas Renkse
Jonas may refer to:
Geography
* Jonas, Netherlands, Netherlands
* Jonas, Pennsylvania, United States
* Jonas Ridge, North Carolina, United States
People with the name
* Jonas (name), people with the given name or surname Jonas
* Jonas, one of ...
and
Anders Nyström
Anders Nyström (born 22 April 1975), also known as Blakkheim (or formerly Blackheim), is a Swedish musician.
Biography
Nyström founded the Swedish metal band Katatonia with singer Jonas Renkse in 1991. Nyström is involved in the songwrit ...
. The band started as a studio-only project for the duo, as an outlet for the band's love of
death metal. Increasing popularity led them to add more band members for live performances, though outside of the band's founders, the lineup was a constantly changing, revolving door of musicians throughout the 1990s, notably including
Mikael Åkerfeldt
Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt (; born 17 April 1974)[Mikael Åkerfeldt](_blank)
, Op ...
of the band
Opeth for a period. After two
death/doom albums, ''
Dance of December Souls
''Dance of December Souls'' is the first full-length album by Katatonia. It was released on CD in 1993 by No Fashion Records and LP by Helion Records, released in the US in 1999 by Century Black. In 2004, record label Black Lodge reissued the ...
'' (1993) and ''
Brave Murder Day
''Brave Murder Day'' is Katatonia's second full-length album, released on 1 August 1996 by Avantgarde Music. The album created a new guitar position with Fredrik Norrman's input and features growled vocals by Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth.
The ...
'' (1996), problems with Renkse's
vocal cords
In humans, vocal cords, also known as vocal folds or voice reeds, are folds of throat tissues that are key in creating sounds through vocalization. The size of vocal cords affects the pitch of voice. Open when breathing and vibrating for speec ...
coupled with new musical influences led the band away from the
screamed vocals of death metal to a more traditional, melodic form of
heavy metal music.
The band released two more albums, ''
Discouraged Ones
''Discouraged Ones'' (stylized ''discøuraged ønes'') is the third full-length album by Katatonia, released on 27 April 1998. This is the only Katatonia album with bassist Micke Oretoft. It is also their last release with Jonas Renkse on drums; ...
'' (1998) and ''
Tonight's Decision
''Tonight's Decision'' is the fourth full-length album by Katatonia, released in 1999 by Peaceville Records. It was reissued in 2003 with two bonus tracks.
Background
Around this time, the band were being influenced less by metal and more by ...
'' (1999), before settling into a stable
quintet
A quintet is a group containing five members. It is commonly associated with musical groups, such as a string quintet, or a group of five singers, but can be applied to any situation where five similar or related objects are considered a single ...
lineup for all of the 2000s. The band released four more albums with said lineup: ''
Last Fair Deal Gone Down
"Last Fair Deal Gone Down" is a song by American blues musician Robert Johnson. It was recorded during Johnson's third recording session in San Antonio, Texas, on November 27, 1936. The song was released on a 78 rpm record in April the foll ...
'' (2001), ''
Viva Emptiness
''Viva Emptiness'' is the sixth album by Katatonia, released in 2003 by Peaceville Records. On the album's tenth anniversary in 2013, it was re-released, featuring a new mix, mastering and additional keyboard arrangements.
Background
The albu ...
'' (2003), ''
The Great Cold Distance'' (2006) and ''
Night Is the New Day'' (2009), with the band slowly moving away from their metal sound while adding more
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. In ...
sounds to their work over time. While lineup changes started up again into the 2010s, Renkse and Nyström persisted, and the band continued on to release their ninth and tenth studio albums, ''
Dead End Kings'' (2012) and ''
The Fall of Hearts'' (2016). After touring in support of the album through 2017, the band entered a hiatus at the beginning of 2018. The band returned from their hiatus in February 2019, with their eleventh studio album, ''
City Burials
''City Burials'' is the eleventh studio album by Swedish heavy metal band Katatonia. The album continues the progressive rock direction used in recent albums while returning to some of their earlier metal instrumentation. Three singles were rele ...
'', released in April 2020.
History
Formation and early years (1991–1997)
The band was first formed in 1991 by
Jonas Renkse
Jonas may refer to:
Geography
* Jonas, Netherlands, Netherlands
* Jonas, Pennsylvania, United States
* Jonas Ridge, North Carolina, United States
People with the name
* Jonas (name), people with the given name or surname Jonas
* Jonas, one of ...
and
Anders Nyström
Anders Nyström (born 22 April 1975), also known as Blakkheim (or formerly Blackheim), is a Swedish musician.
Biography
Nyström founded the Swedish metal band Katatonia with singer Jonas Renkse in 1991. Nyström is involved in the songwrit ...
as a two piece studio-based project.
Renkse would provide clean and
screamed vocals and drums, while Nyström would provide all bass and guitars.
Renkse was the primary lyricist, while Nyström was the primary music composer.
The duo had been working together with music in some capacity since 1987, but became serious about making music in 1991, when they began work on their first release, the demo ''
Jhva Elohim Meth... The Revival''.
The release, along with the next few subsequent releases by the band, were of the
death/doom metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
sound, with the members being inspired and influenced by the rise of
death metal becoming popular in Europe at the time.
The release was enough of a hit in the underground metal scene to garner the attention of a small music label, Vic Records, which re-released it as an
EP in 1993, which helped gain more exposure for the duo.
The newfound popularity found them recruiting a bass guitarist, Guillaume Le Huche, so the trio could play live performances, and returning to the studio to recreate a debut full-length album. The resulting work, ''
Dance of December Souls
''Dance of December Souls'' is the first full-length album by Katatonia. It was released on CD in 1993 by No Fashion Records and LP by Helion Records, released in the US in 1999 by Century Black. In 2004, record label Black Lodge reissued the ...
'', was released in late 1993.
The album's bleak melancholy and despair of their sound continued to give them the classification of death-doom.
After touring in support of the album, the trio recorded another EP, ''
For Funerals to Come...'', which was released in early 1995. However, Le Huche left the band shortly after, and issues finding a replacement found the band break up for a year, while Renkse and Nystrom worked separately on their own projects.
Of note, Renkse started up a new band,
October Tide
October Tide is a Swedish death/doom metal band that was created in 1994 by Katatonia vocalist Jonas Renkse and then-Katatonia guitarist Fred Norrman. Norrman revived the band after leaving Katatonia in 2009.
History
1995–1999
October ...
, with guitarist Fredrik Norrman. After working some with Norrman on the project, Renkse decided to revive Katatonia with Norrman as the new third member.
After the year off, the band reformed in 1996 to record and release a second studio album, ''
Brave Murder Day
''Brave Murder Day'' is Katatonia's second full-length album, released on 1 August 1996 by Avantgarde Music. The album created a new guitar position with Fredrik Norrman's input and features growled vocals by Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth.
The ...
''.
In addition to Fredrik Norrman contributing guitars to the album, the band also recruited Renkse's friend,
Mikael Åkerfeldt
Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt (; born 17 April 1974)[Mikael Åkerfeldt](_blank)
, Op ...
of the band
Opeth, to perform the screamed vocals, as Renkse became unable to do them himself anymore due to medical issues.
The release, alongside the EP ''
Sounds of Decay
''Sounds of Decay'' is a three-song EP released by Katatonia in 1997.
The front cover is a screenshot of a decrepit god, taken from the movie '' Begotten''.
There is an unreleased version of this EP on which Fred Norrman recorded. The band had ...
'' released with the same lineup the next year, were considered their last in the genre of doom/death metal, with the band starting to focus more on clean vocals in subsequent releases. To promote the album, the band recruited Mikael Oretoft to play bass and they embarked on their first European tour with
progressive metal
Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified guitar-driven sound of the former with the more experimental, cerebral ...
band
In the Woods...
Move away from death metal (1998–1999)
While Renkse experimented with clean, melodic vocals over metal instrumentation as early as the 1994 recording of the track "Scarlet Heavens" (later released in very limited capacity on
Katatonia/Primordial in 1996), the band did not feel ready to pursue that sort of sound at the time.
However, after the band's 1997 releases, due to a desire to create more emotive and evolving music, the band decided to move in that direction.
The first of said releases was an EP entitled ''
Saw You Drown
''Saw You Drown'' is an extended play released by Katatonia in 1998, limited to 1500 handnumbered copies. In 2005, it was re-issued on clear/blue wax 10" LP in 1000 hand-numbered copies.
The first two tracks are previews of the then-upcoming '' D ...
'', released in early 1997, which also contained the first wide release of "Scarlet Heavens".
Later in 1998, the band released their first full-album of this style, titled ''
Discouraged Ones
''Discouraged Ones'' (stylized ''discøuraged ønes'') is the third full-length album by Katatonia, released on 27 April 1998. This is the only Katatonia album with bassist Micke Oretoft. It is also their last release with Jonas Renkse on drums; ...
''.
After the release, the band signed a multi-album record deal with
Peaceville, which would mark the first time the band would work with a bigger label, and stay with them for the long-term.
Additionally, Renkse wanted to focus further on dedicating himself to developing his clean vocals, leading him to no longer do any further drumming for the band.
The band kept active, recording and releasing their fourth album, ''
Tonight's Decision
''Tonight's Decision'' is the fourth full-length album by Katatonia, released in 1999 by Peaceville Records. It was reissued in 2003 with two bonus tracks.
Background
Around this time, the band were being influenced less by metal and more by ...
'', in 1999.
The sessions were difficult, with the writing alone taking Renkse and Nystrom over seven months to complete.
Once recording, they recruited
Dan Swanö, who had helped assist the band in the past, as a sessions drummer.
While the album contained no screamed vocals, the band still retained Åkerfeldt still assisted with vocal production on the album, as they had with ''Discouraged Ones''.
After the release of ''Tonight's Decision'', the band, tired of continually searching for
session musicians, finally decided to put together a concrete, permanent lineup.
Fredrick Norrman recruited his brother, Mattias Norrman, as a bassist and Daniel Liljekvist joined the band as the drummer.
Stable lineup and international growth (2000–2009)
![Katatonia 2005](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Katatonia_2005.jpg)
With the band finally achieving a stable lineup with Renkse, Nystrom, the Norrman brothers and Liljekvist, the band began work on their fifth album, the first of four albums the quintet would release over the course of the next decade. While personnel issues no longer plagued the band, recording sessions were still difficult, this time due to financial constraints, which limited how much time they could spend in the studio.
The band worked on recording the album off and on from April to December 2000, and while the stopping and starting proved to be troublesome, it also kept them re-evaluating and reworking their material in the downtime, something they felt ultimately helped the shaping of the album.
The resulting album, ''
Last Fair Deal Gone Down
"Last Fair Deal Gone Down" is a song by American blues musician Robert Johnson. It was recorded during Johnson's third recording session in San Antonio, Texas, on November 27, 1936. The song was released on a 78 rpm record in April the foll ...
'' was released in May 2001,
and marked the band further distancing itself from traditional
heavy metal music, in favor of more of a
hard rock sound.
The band decided to release the ''
Teargas
Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ad ...
'' EP shortly prior to the album release, essentially as a single, containing the album track "Teargas" and two
B-sides
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
.
Another EP of music from the same sessions, ''
Tonight's Music
''Tonight's Music'' is a song by Swedish heavy metal band Katatonia, released in 2001 as the only single from their fifth studio album ''Last Fair Deal Gone Down''.
Track listing
Note
# "O How I Enjoy The Light" is cover version of Will Oldha ...
'', was also released shortly after the album. The band rounded out the year with a European tour with
Åkerfeldt's band
Opeth, with Renkse and Nystrom even providing guest vocals at some of the Opeth shows when Åkerfeldt was experiencing trouble with his vocal cords.
By mid-2002, the band had started to write material for their sixth album, and by October 2002, they had entered the studio to begin formal recording sessions. In April 2003, the band released the resulting album, ''
Viva Emptiness
''Viva Emptiness'' is the sixth album by Katatonia, released in 2003 by Peaceville Records. On the album's tenth anniversary in 2013, it was re-released, featuring a new mix, mastering and additional keyboard arrangements.
Background
The albu ...
''. The album was promoted by the release of the single "
Ghost of the Sun" and the similarly named ''Ghost of the Spring'' tour. The tour, which went through Europe with support act
Daylight Dies
Daylight Dies is a melodic death-doom band from North Carolina, United States.
History
Daylight Dies was formed in 1996 by Barre Gambling and Jesse Haff. In 1999, the two recorded the band's first demo, ''The Long Forgotten Demo''. In 2000, G ...
,
went as planned, though the band later had to cancel a June performance in Germany due to sickness, and had July festival appearances cancelled due to issues beyond their control with third party organizers. Still, the album was a success, being
their first to chart on any official charts, peaking at no. 17 on the Finnish charts.
![Katatonia - Kuopio Rockcock 06](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Katatonia_-_Kuopio_Rockcock_06.JPG)
The band continued to spend much of 2003 and 2004 touring in support of the album. The band started writing for their seventh studio album as early as October 2004, and spent six months of 2005 in the studio recording the album, while taking breaks for further touring. The band's only releases during the time period was two compilation album releases: ''
Brave Yester Days'', a collection of songs from their death metal era in the mid-1990s, and ''
The Black Sessions
''The Black Sessions'' is the second compilation album by Swedish heavy metal band Katatonia, released on February 21, 2005, through Peaceville. The compilation includes hit songs, B-sides and rarities recorded on the band's previous studio alb ...
'', a collection of songs from after they moved away from death metal. While initially planning on releasing the album by the end of 2005, recording sessions went late into 2005, pushing its release into 2006. The album, entitled ''
The Great Cold Distance'', released in March 2006, along with the accompanying singles "
My Twin" and "Deliberation".
The band again turned to touring, most notably their live performance at
Summer Breeze Open Air in 2006 being used for the release of a live album titled ''
Live Consternation'' in 2007. Additionally, the band's first full North American tour, with Daylight Dies and
Moonspell
Moonspell is a Portuguese gothic metal band formed in 1992. The group released their first EP, ''Under the Moonspell'', in 1994 and followed up with their debut album, ''Wolfheart'', a year later. They quickly became the most recognizable metal ...
, ran through October and November 2006.
The band continued to tour into 2007, focusing on Europe in the first half of the year, and returning to North America, even Mexico, in the latter half of the year.
With focusing on touring in support of ''The Great Cold Distance'' for most of 2006 and 2007, the band turned their focus to working on a new album in early 2008. By mid-2008, the band had booked studio time twice, but cancelled both times, not satisfied with the material accumulated to record each time.
Writer's block
Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. Mike Rose found that this creative stall is not a result of commitment problems or th ...
, largely stemming from the band feeling pressure to release a follow up that could measure up to ''The Great Cold Distance'', was main reason for the slow progress, as the album had been their biggest success, critically and financially, at the time.
Renkse and Nystrom also had difficulty deciding in what direction the album's sound would move into, eventually deciding to move the band into a more
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. In ...
sound.
Progress continued to be slow, with the band continuing to write into 2009, but not entering the studio until mid-2009. The band continued to tour intermittently as well, including a short tour supporting
Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree are an English rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson in 1987. During an initial career spanning more than twenty years, they earned critical acclaim from critics and fellow musicians, developed a cult following, and became ...
in Europe. After over three and a half years, the band finally released their eighth studio album, in November 2009, under the title ''
Night Is the New Day'',
including the single "Day and Then the Shade" a month prior. The time spent on the album paid off, with it being generally well received by critics.
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
deemed the album the second best metal album of 2009.
Lineup changes, ''Dead End Kings'' and ''The Fall of Hearts'' (2010–2017)
Shortly after the release of ''Night is the New Day'', the band's first lineup change in a decade occurred when both Norrman brothers amicably left the band, stating they wanted to focus on life at home rather than further touring cycles abroad.
They were replaced by longtime
guitar tech
A guitar technician (or 'guitar tech') is a member of a music ensemble's road crew who maintains and sets up the musical equipment for one or more guitarists. Depending on the type and size of band, the guitar tech may be responsible for stringin ...
Per Eriksson on guitar and Niklas Sandin on bass.
In March 2010, the band also released another EP, featuring unreleased and alternate versions of songs from ''Night is the New Day'', titled ''
The Longest Year
''The Longest Year'' is an EP by Swedish band Katatonia, released in 2010 by Peaceville Records.Kat ...
'',
which were later included on the special edition reissue of the album in 2011. The band continued to tour extensively, including
Sonisphere Festival
The Sonisphere Festival was a touring rock music festival which took place across Europe between the months of June and August. The festival was owned by John Jackson and Kilimanjaro Live. It was jointly promoted by K2 and Kilimanjaro Live. It ...
in the UK, and another North American tour with
Swallow the Sun in 2010, and another North American tour with Opeth on their ''
Heritage
Heritage may refer to:
History and society
* A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today
** Cultural heritage is created by humans
** Natural heritage is not
* Heritage language
Biology
* Heredity, biological inheritance of physica ...
'' tour in 2011. The band wrapped up the year with a 20th Anniversary concert in December, with the band playing songs spanning their career, and having past members, including the Norrman brothers and Le Huche, rejoin the band to play on some songs.
![Katatonia - Kavarana Rock Fest](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Katatonia_-_Kavarana_Rock_Fest.jpg)
The band entered the studio to begin work on their ninth studio album on 30 January 2012. The resulting album, ''
Dead End Kings'' was released in August in Europe and North America. In support of the release, the band co-headlined the "Epic Kings Idols Tour" with
The Devin Townsend Project, in North America in September, followed by the "Dead Ends of Europe Tour" with
Alcest
Alcest is a French post-black metal band from Bagnols-sur-Cèze, founded and led by Neige (Stéphane Paut). It began in 2000 as a black metal solo project by Neige, soon a trio, but following the release of their first demo in 2001, band memb ...
and
Junius in November of the same year. A music video for the single "Lethean", directed by Lasse Hoile, was released on 18 February 2013. In September 2013, the band also released ''Dethroned & Uncrowned'', an album which featured more
acoustic leaning re-workings of the songs from ''Dead End Kings''.
It was jointly funded by the Burning Shed record label and a
crowd sourcing
Crowdsourcing involves a large group of dispersed participants contributing or producing goods or services—including ideas, votes, micro-tasks, and finances—for payment or as volunteers. Contemporary crowdsourcing often involves digita ...
effort on
PledgeMusic
PledgeMusic was an online direct-to-fan music platform, launched in August 2009. It was started to facilitate musicians looking to pre-sell, market, and distribute projects; such as recordings and concerts. It bore similarities to other artist p ...
, which accumulated 190% of the target goal. The band embarked on an acoustic tour – "The Unplugged & Reworked Tour" in support of the album in 2014.
Just prior to the touring, the band released another EP of b-sides, ''
Kocytean'' for
Record Store Day
Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...
2014.
In 2014, Eriksson and Katatonia "mutually agreed to part ways" due to "a difference in views" and Eriksson's decision to live in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
. Bruce Soord of
The Pineapple Thief
The Pineapple Thief are a British progressive rock band, started by Bruce Soord in 1999 in Somerset, England.
History Early years
Founder Bruce Soord started The Pineapple Thief as an outlet for his music back in 1999. Soord released the ...
temporarily filled in Eriksson for the band's May tour, while Tomas Åkvik filled in on guitar afterwards in mid-2014. Longtime drummer Liljekvist also left the band in April 2014, on friendly terms, citing personal and financial reasons. The band released another live album, ''Sanctitude'', on 31 March 2015. In November 2015, the band announced Daniel Moilanen as their new drummer and revealed that they were working on a new album to be released in 2016. The album, ''
The Fall of Hearts'' was released on 20 May 2016. The album, as well as featuring new drummer Daniel Moilanen, was also the first to feature new guitarist
Roger Öjersson; who replaced Eriksson's position as second guitarist. Two singles were released in promotion of the album, "
Old Heart Falls" and "
Serein
The Serein () is a river of eastern France. It is the main waterway of the Chablis wine district in Burgundy. It is long. The Serein is not navigable.
Origin of the name
''Serein'' is the French word for "serene". This may reflect the placid n ...
". The band continued touring in support of the album in 2017, including a North American tour that started in March.
Hiatus, return and ''City Burials'' (2018–present)
The band announced they would enter a hiatus in 2018. The band cited Öjersson being hospitalized by a serious back injury at the end of 2017, and a number of other undisclosed issues, for the band needing to take some time off and "re-evaluate what the future holds for the band." In February 2019, the band announced their return to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their 2009 album ''
Night Is the New Day'', with an anniversary tour and deluxe release of the album. Their eleventh studio album, ''
City Burials
''City Burials'' is the eleventh studio album by Swedish heavy metal band Katatonia. The album continues the progressive rock direction used in recent albums while returning to some of their earlier metal instrumentation. Three singles were rele ...
'', was released in April 2020; its first single was "Lacquer".
Musical style and influences
The band is known for changing its sound over the course of its three-decade career. Nystrom summarized it in a 2006 interview:
Yeah sure, we see ourselves as a metal band, but without boundaries and limitations to our sound. We do not necessarily belong to a certain subgenre within metal. We're just playing dark and heavy music and keeping an open mind to evolve and being true to ourselves. I'm proud to say that I believe KATATONIA sounds like no other band. We have eloquently avoided the gothic metal genre most bands tend to fall in when changing their sound from doom/death metal to something more rocking and melodic. We're leaning towards more of a contemporary alternative sound, free of all cheese and clichés.
Similarly, Nystrom noted of the band's live performances:
Well, it must be hard sometimes for Jonas to sing his heart out with lyrics referring to personal dark and depressive matters and at the same time also be accused of being a reluctant frontman. I actually think much of the stuff he sings about doesn't go in hand with running around on stage, throwing horns, smiling and firing up the audience. We're not an energetic power metal
Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...
band. I think the withdrawn and shy aura actually does more justice to the concept of our songs than going wild, but we have some songs mainly on the two last albums that don't really fall into the doom and gloom category, but are still dark. And there the more aggressive approach fits better.
Renkse stated that early inspirations for Katatonia included bands of the
death metal variety, namely
Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida, formed in 1983 by guitarist, primary composer and sole remaining original member Trey Azagthoth, vocalist and bassist Dallas Ward, and drummer Mike Browning. Widely considered ...
,
Entombed,
Carnage,
Autopsy and
Paradise Lost; especially the latter's album ''
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
''. Moreover, Renkse has on multiple occasions cited the work of American progressive metal band
Tool
A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...
as an influence.
Nystrom has cited the work of
Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree are an English rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson in 1987. During an initial career spanning more than twenty years, they earned critical acclaim from critics and fellow musicians, developed a cult following, and became ...
as a large influence for the band in their post-death metal eras. For the 2011 Katatonia documentary ''Last Fair Day Gone Night'', Nyström also credited alternative metal bands such as
A Perfect Circle
A Perfect Circle is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. A Perfect Circle has released four studio albums, the first three during the early 2000s: ...
and
Mudvayne
Mudvayne is an American heavy metal band formed in Peoria, Illinois in 1996. Known for their sonic experimentation, face and body paint, masks and uniforms, the band has sold over six million records worldwide, including nearly three millio ...
with inspiring the heavy, single-string riff-oriented sound introduced on 2003's ''Viva Emptiness''.
Their early sound has been described as
death-doom and death metal,
and later they incorporated other styles, such as
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. In ...
,
progressive metal
Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified guitar-driven sound of the former with the more experimental, cerebral ...
,
doom metal,
gothic rock and
gothic metal.
Comments from other musicians
Some artists and bands have cited Katatonia as an influence, among which are
Agalloch
Agalloch () was an American extreme metal band from Portland, Oregon. Formed in 1995 by frontman John Haughm, they released five full-length albums, four EPs, two singles, one split single, two demos, four compilation albums and one live video ...
,
Nachtmystium
Nachtmystium was an American psychedelic black metal band formed by Blake Judd, formerly known as Azentrius, and Pat McCormick. The band's name is derived from the German word '' Nacht'' meaning "night", and the made-up term ''mystium'' which re ...
, Andy Schmidt of
Disillusion,
Niklas Kvarforth
Niklas Olsson (born 7 December 1983), better known as Niklas Kvarforth, is a Swedish singer and songwriter. He is the founder, composer, and vocalist of the black metal band Shining.
Background
As a multi-instrumentalist musician, Kvarforth star ...
of
Shining,
Klimt 1918
Klimt 1918 is an indie rock, indie/alternative rock band from Rome, Italy. Founded in 1999 by brothers Marco and Paolo Soellner, the band is named for Gustav Klimt and the date of his death in 1918. The musical style is a melancholic alternative ...
,
Marcela Bovio
Marcela Alejandra Bovio García (born October 17, 1979) is a Mexican singer and violinist who is currently a member of the Dutch symphonic death metal band MaYaN.
In 1995, she joined Hydra, a Mexican metal band, singing and playing violin. In ...
of
Stream of Passion
Stream of Passion is a Dutch progressive metal band with symphonic and gothic influences founded by guitarist and composer Arjen Anthony Lucassen and Mexican singer, violinist, and lyricist Marcela Bovio. They have released four studio albums.
...
,
Daylight Dies
Daylight Dies is a melodic death-doom band from North Carolina, United States.
History
Daylight Dies was formed in 1996 by Barre Gambling and Jesse Haff. In 1999, the two recorded the band's first demo, ''The Long Forgotten Demo''. In 2000, G ...
,
Nucleus Torn,
Khors
Khors, Хорсъ is a Slavic god of uncertain functions mentioned since the 12th century. Generally interpreted as a sun god, sometimes as a moon god. The meaning of the theonym is also unknown: most often his name has been combined with th ...
,
Marjana Semkina of
iamthemorning
iamthemorning is a Russian progressive rock/ chamber pop duo formed in 2010, consisting of singer Marjana Semkina and pianist Gleb Kolyadin.
Biography
The duo formed at the start of the 2010. Their name was taken from the song "I Am the Mor ...
,
Wet, Vladimir Agafonkin of
Obiymy Doshchu,
Nahemah,
Forest Stream,
Forgotten Tomb
Forgotten Tomb is an Italian metal band from Piacenza. It was founded in 1999 by Ferdinando "Herr Morbid" Marchisio as a one-man black metal project after the disbanding of his previous black metal band Sacrater. The lyrical themes of the band's ...
, Alex Vynogradoff of
Kauan
Kauan is an atmospheric doom metal/post-rock band from Chelyabinsk, Russia formed in 2005.
Kauan's name stems from the Finnish language, meaning ''for a long time'', and many of the band's lyrics are in Finnish. Furthermore, most of the band no ...
,
Bilocate
Bilocate is a dark Oriental metal band from Amman, Jordan, founded in 2002 by Ramzi Essayed, Waseem Essayed and Hani Al Abbadi. The band's style combines doom metal, death metal and black metal with Oriental elements.
History
The band was founde ...
, Maxime Côté of
Catuvolcus,
Nocturnal Depression,
Last Leaf Down,
Schizoid Lloyd, and
Pallbearer
A pallbearer is one of several participants who help carry the casket at a funeral. They may wear white gloves in order to prevent damaging the casket and to show respect to the deceased person.
Some traditions distinguish between the roles o ...
.
In addition, other artists have been quoted expressing admiration for their work including
Mark Jansen
Mark Jansen (born 15 December 1978) is a Dutch guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. A prominent figure in the symphonic metal subgenre, he is known for his work with the bands After Forever (1995–2002), Epica (2002–present), and MaYaN (2010 ...
of
Epica
Epica or EPICA may refer to:
* Epica (band), a Dutch symphonic metal band
* ''Epica'' (Kamelot album), 2003
* ''Epica'' (Audiomachine album), 2012
* The European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA)
* The Epica Awards (International Adver ...
,
Luc Lemay of
Gorguts
Gorguts is a Canadian death metal band from Sherbrooke, Quebec, formed in 1989. The band has been through many personnel changes since its inception; its only constant member has been guitarist and vocalist Luc Lemay, who remains the primary cr ...
,
Jim Matheos of
Fates Warning,
Esa Holopainen
Esa Holopainen (born 1 October 1972) is a Finnish musician, currently the main songwriter, occasional lyricist, founding member and lead guitarist of the Finnish metal band Amorphis.
He is one out the two longest standing members of the band (t ...
of
Amorphis
Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band founded by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other genres, including progressive metal, ...
, and Bruce Soord of
The Pineapple Thief
The Pineapple Thief are a British progressive rock band, started by Bruce Soord in 1999 in Somerset, England.
History Early years
Founder Bruce Soord started The Pineapple Thief as an outlet for his music back in 1999. Soord released the ...
.
Band members
; Current
*
Jonas Renkse
Jonas may refer to:
Geography
* Jonas, Netherlands, Netherlands
* Jonas, Pennsylvania, United States
* Jonas Ridge, North Carolina, United States
People with the name
* Jonas (name), people with the given name or surname Jonas
* Jonas, one of ...
– drums
(1991–1999),
lead vocals (1991–1994, 1997–present),
guitars (2009–present)
*
Anders Nyström
Anders Nyström (born 22 April 1975), also known as Blakkheim (or formerly Blackheim), is a Swedish musician.
Biography
Nyström founded the Swedish metal band Katatonia with singer Jonas Renkse in 1991. Nyström is involved in the songwrit ...
– bass
(1991, 1996), guitars,
backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...
(1991–1994, 1997–present),
keyboards (1999–present)
* Niklas Sandin –
bass (2009–present)
* Daniel Moilanen –
drums (2015–present)
* Roger Öjersson – guitars
(2016–present)
; Former
* Guillaume Le Huche – bass
(1992–1994)
*
Mikael Åkerfeldt
Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt (; born 17 April 1974)[Mikael Åkerfeldt](_blank)
, Op ...
– unclean vocals
(1996)
* Fredrik Norrman – guitars
(1996–2009), bass
(1998–1999)
* Mikael Oretoft – bass
(1997–1998)
* Mattias Norrman – bass
(1999–2009)
* Daniel Liljekvist – drums
(1999–2014)
* Per Eriksson – guitars
(2009–2014)
Timeline
Discography
* ''
Dance of December Souls
''Dance of December Souls'' is the first full-length album by Katatonia. It was released on CD in 1993 by No Fashion Records and LP by Helion Records, released in the US in 1999 by Century Black. In 2004, record label Black Lodge reissued the ...
'' (1993)
* ''
Brave Murder Day
''Brave Murder Day'' is Katatonia's second full-length album, released on 1 August 1996 by Avantgarde Music. The album created a new guitar position with Fredrik Norrman's input and features growled vocals by Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth.
The ...
'' (1996)
* ''
Discouraged Ones
''Discouraged Ones'' (stylized ''discøuraged ønes'') is the third full-length album by Katatonia, released on 27 April 1998. This is the only Katatonia album with bassist Micke Oretoft. It is also their last release with Jonas Renkse on drums; ...
'' (1998)
* ''
Tonight's Decision
''Tonight's Decision'' is the fourth full-length album by Katatonia, released in 1999 by Peaceville Records. It was reissued in 2003 with two bonus tracks.
Background
Around this time, the band were being influenced less by metal and more by ...
'' (1999)
* ''
Last Fair Deal Gone Down
"Last Fair Deal Gone Down" is a song by American blues musician Robert Johnson. It was recorded during Johnson's third recording session in San Antonio, Texas, on November 27, 1936. The song was released on a 78 rpm record in April the foll ...
'' (2001)
* ''
Viva Emptiness
''Viva Emptiness'' is the sixth album by Katatonia, released in 2003 by Peaceville Records. On the album's tenth anniversary in 2013, it was re-released, featuring a new mix, mastering and additional keyboard arrangements.
Background
The albu ...
'' (2003)
* ''
The Great Cold Distance'' (2006)
* ''
Night Is the New Day'' (2009)
* ''
Dead End Kings'' (2012)
* ''
The Fall of Hearts'' (2016)
* ''
City Burials
''City Burials'' is the eleventh studio album by Swedish heavy metal band Katatonia. The album continues the progressive rock direction used in recent albums while returning to some of their earlier metal instrumentation. Three singles were rele ...
'' (2020)
* ''Sky Void of Stars'' (2023)
References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Swedish death metal musical groups
Swedish doom metal musical groups
Swedish progressive metal musical groups
Musical groups established in 1991
Musical groups disestablished in 1994
Musical groups reestablished in 1996
Musical groups from Stockholm
Articles which contain graphical timelines
1991 establishments in Sweden
Musical quintets
Swedish gothic rock groups
Swedish gothic metal musical groups