''The Black Sessions'' is the second compilation album by Swedish heavy metal band

Katatonia Katatonia are a Swedish heavy metal band formed in Stockholm in 1991 by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström. 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 ...

, released on February 21, 2005, through

Peaceville Peaceville Records is a British independent heavy metal record label. The label was founded by Paul "Hammy" Halmshaw (of the bands Instigators and Civilised Society) in Dewsbury, England in 1987, who was also a one-time drummer of Sore Throat. ...

. The compilation includes hit songs,

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 ...

and rarities recorded on the band's previous studio albums (from ''

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 ...

'' to ''

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 ...

''). A live DVD for the band performing in Krakow,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

, in April 2003 is also included in the compilation. The song "Wait Outside" is recorded during the ''Viva Emptiness'' recording session but previously unreleased anywhere. A remixed and remastered version of the song is included on the 10th anniversary edition of ''Viva Emptiness''.

Track listing

Disc one - CD

Disc two - CD

Disc three - DVD

Personnel

Katatonia

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 ...

– lead vocals, production on Disc 1 & 2,

songwriting A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

on all other tracks other than "Nightmares by the Sea",

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

on ''Discouraged Ones'', Disc 1 & 2, additional guitar, mixing & programming on ''Viva Emptiness'' on Disc 1 & 2 *

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 songwriti ...

–

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

, production Disc 1 & 2, songwriting on ''Discouraged Ones'' & ''Tonight's Decision'', music on ''Teargas EP'' / ''Last Deal Gone Down'' / ''Tonight's Music'' & ''Viva Emptiness'',

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

on ''Discouraged Ones'', ''Tonight's Decision'' & ''Viva Emptiness'',

mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. A ...

on ''Teargas EP'' / ''Last Deal Gone Down'' / ''Tonight's Music''

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 use ...

, mixing & programming on ''Viva Emptiness'' Disc 1 & 2 *Fred Norrman –

rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...

on Disc 1-3,

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

on ''Tonight's Decision Disc 1 & 2), music on ''Teargas EP'' / ''Last Deal Gone Down'' / ''Tonight's Music'', "A Premonition" *Mattias Norrman –

on ''Last Fair Deal Gone Down'' & ''Viva Emptiness'' Disc 1 & 2, Disc 3 *Daniel Liljekvist –

on ''Last Fair Deal Gone Down'' & ''Viva Emptiness'' Disc 1 & 2, Disc 3, backing vocals on track 7, Disc 1

Additional personnel

*Micke Oretoft – bass guitar and production on ''Discouraged Ones'' Disc 1 & 2 *David Castillo -

remaster Remaster refers to changing the quality of the sound or of the image, or both, of previously created recordings, either audiophonic, cinematic, or videographic. The terms digital remastering and digitally remastered are also used. Mastering A ...

ing on ''Discouraged Ones'' Disc 1 & 2 *Fred Estby - engineering on ''Discouraged Ones'' Disc 1 & 2 *Tomas Skogsberg - engineering & mixing ''Discouraged Ones'', ''Teargas EP'' & ''Last Fair Deal Gone Down'' Disc 1 & 2, engineering on ''Tonight's Music'' Disc 1 & 2 *

Mikael Åkerfeldt Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt (; born 17 April 1974)Mikael Åkerfeldt
, Op ...

- vocals production on ''Discouraged Ones'' & ''Tonight's Decision'' Disc 1 & 2 *

Dan Swanö Dan-Erland Swanö (born 10 March 1973), also known as Dan "The Man" Swanö, is a Swedish musician and record producer who is currently the vocalist, guitarist, ex-bassist and ex-drummer for the band Nightingale, lately vocalist, keyboardist and ...

– drums on ''Tonight's Decision'' Disc 1 & 2 & editing on ''Viva Emptiness'' Disc 1 & 2 *Joakim Petterson - engineering on ''Tonight's Decision'' Disc 1 & 2 *

Jonas Kjellgren Jonas Kjellgren (born 4 July 1977) is a Swedish musician and producer, now residing in Grangärde, Sweden. He has been lead vocalist for Carnal Forge and Dellamorte, played guitar for Centinex, and played bass for October Tide. He is most famous f ...

- engineering on ''Tonight's Music'' Disc 1 & 2 *Mia Lorentzon - mastering on ''Tonight's Music'' Disc 1 & 2 *Peter in de Betou - mastering on ''Teargas EP'', ''Viva Emptiness'' & ''Last Fair Deal Gone Down'' Disc 1 & 2, editing on ''Last Fair Deal Gone Down'' Disc 1 & 2 *Jocke Pettersson - mixing & engineering on ''Teargas EP'' / ''Last Fair Deal Gone Down'' / ''Tonight's Music'' Disc 1 & 2 *Ian Agate - assisting engineering on ''Viva Emptiness'' Disc 1 & 2 *

Jens Bogren Jens Peter Daniel Bogren (born 13 November 1979) is a Swedish record producer, mixer and recording engineer specializing in heavy metal music. He has worked on albums by Opeth, Dimmu Borgir, Sepultura, Arch Enemy, At the Gates, Katatonia, Babym ...

- mixing on ''Viva Emptiness'' Disc 1 & 2 *Jeff Buckley - songwriter on "Nightmares by the Sea"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Black Sessions, The 2005 compilation albums 2005 live albums 2005 video albums Katatonia albums Live video albums Albums with cover art by Travis Smith (artist)