To Arcana Verba
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From perspective of a dead end
About Katatonia album Dead End Kings Katatonia always have been a step ahead and a few steps aside of the mainstream, they have their own way and constantly evolving it point by point they got to a position materialized in their latest album Dead End Kings. Definitely this album is one of the most proficient in the genre and probably the best produced in the band's history. If you already have listened to the album you may agree that there is no need to give some ultimate evaluations in both possitive or negative direction. All of the tracks are composed, played, recorded and mixed in very temperate and mature way, for what I personally, had no doubt after Night Is the New Day. Every meloman will agree that these components are important and sometimes crucial but their amount is not enough to transform a musical piece into a piece of art. It is not an easy-listening album, it takes some time (and several times of listening) to get in the atmosphere. Katatonia re-visited the elements of their music and rearranged them, increasing role of some and decreasing role of others, especially using achievements of the two previous albums. The first impression might be that there are too many layers, some parts may sound confusing due to rhythmic solutions and somewhere inbetween is the typical Katatonia floating melody held by vocals or keys, clean guitars, etc. This mixture is nothing by accident it has its own purpose creating the whole sound body of the album. Rhythm section and especially Daniel Liljekvist drumwork brings extra tension being counterpoint to gloomy and catchy melodies. The riffs often don't strengthen the melody line (as this is their usual task) but put it in uncomfortable context. Orchestration and electronics are so well composed and mixed - they have such an unobtrusive presence that is hard to realize their enormous importance to the whole sound. Listeners can never feel relaxed, the keyword here, in this dead end world is vexation. Even track like Lethean with its easy to remember refrain and whirlpoolish guitar solo (rare for Katatonia, Per Eriksson is to be credited, I guess) has this feeling of no escape existence where the human being is captured. Jonas Renske thorough-paced vocals present the moderate voice from inside the dead end world - there is no agony (as the past is gone), but there is no hope (as there is no future), as well. Katatonia present human existence from a dead end perspective and as a paradox this dead end occurs to be completely habitable place. From this point of no return in their musical career (some may say that this is the highest peak) Katatonia have not a plenty of possibilities. Their music got to a proficient level which is undeniably hard to surpass. The expectance is that they will manage to do it with the next albums. The pessimistic voice from the dead end world insists that they will stay there forever, comfortably enthroned as kings singing continuously of infinite perspectives of a dead end. LVK |