Katatonia

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KATATONIA Release Extensive Collection ‘Mnemosynean’ on October 1st

Posted by tarjavirmakari on July 15, 2021
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KATATONIA are set to release Mnemosynean on 1st October 2021 through Peaceville Records.

This new release marks 30 years since the formation of one of the most enigmatic & aurally captivating bands to grace the dark rock/prog genre, Mnemosynean contains an extensive collection of all of Katatonia’s rarities and B-sides, including tracks from the band’s numerous EPs, limited special edition bonuses, cover songs, as well as a series of collaborative remixes.

The journey of Mnemosynean spans the gothic-soaked experimental epic ‘Scarlet Heavens’ recorded all the way back in 1994, through to tracks recorded during the sessions for the stellar 2016 opus, The Fall of Hearts.

The intriguing title of ‘Mnemosynean’ itself represents memories & was selected because tomb inscriptions dating back to 400 BCE say that the dead could keep their memories by avoiding drinking from the Lethe, and drink instead from the stream flowing from the lake of Mnemosyne (the goddess of memory).

The Mnemosynean packaging includes a new band biography courtesy of music journalist Eleanor Goodman, as well as full lyrics plus backgrounds to the track origins described by founding members Anders Nyström and Jonas Renkse, along with other close Katatonia collaborators. The artwork for this release has been created by long-running Katatonia visual artist Travis Smith.

MNEMOSYNEAN will be released through Peaceville on 1st October, on 2 CD, deluxe gatefold  triple LP on black vinyl , deluxe gatefold  triple LP on white coloured vinyl (available only through the Peaceville label stores and Katatonia band store)and digitally.

Pre-order HERE.

MNEMOSYNEAN TRACKLISTING (CD split)

DISC 1

  1. Vakaren [04:54]
  2. Sistere [04:11]
  3. Wide Awake In Quietus [04:59]
  4. Night Comes Down [04:14]
  5. Second [03:32]
  6. The Act Of Darkening [05:52]
  7. Ashen [04:06]
  8. Sold Heart [04:32]
  9. Displaced [05:14]
  10. Dissolving Bonds [03:41]
  11. Unfurl[04:48]
  12. Code Against The Code [03:28]

DISC 2

  1. Wait Outside [03:38]
  2. Sulfur[06:22]
  3. March 4 [03:51]
  4. O How I Enjoy The Light [02:44]
  5. Help Me Disappear [05:13]
  6. Fractured [05:52]
  7. No Devotion [04:48]
  8. Quiet World [04:39]
  9. Scarlet Heavens [10:27]
  10. In The White (Urban Dub) [05:25]
  11. My Twin (Opium Dub Version)[04:15]
  12. Soil`s Song (Krister Linder 2012 remix)[04:40]
  13. Day And Then The Shade (Frank Default remix) [05:40]
  14. Idle Blood (Linje 14) [03:23]
  15. Hypnone (Frank Default Hypnocadence mix)[04:46]

SÓLSTAFIR Announce Co-Headlining Tour With KATATONIA in 2022

Posted by tarjavirmakari on April 14, 2021
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SÓLSTAFIR and KATATONIA will head out in January and February 2022 on a 31-date co-headline tour of the UK and Europe.

The coming together of these two revered masters of melancholy seems only natural. For over a quarter of a century both artists have favoured the emotional connection that their music brings over all else. Theirs is a world where ‘heavy’ is a force of nature; where progress comes from within, outwardly changing their musical output into something almost unrecognizable from the extreme metal that carried it in the early days. 

The BBC’s description of Katatonia’s “grandiose, majestic beauty” seems appropriate for both artists. It’s no coincidence that The Guardian’s take on Solstafir is equally apt: “total immersion is compulsory”. 

SÓLSTAFIR
w/ KATATONIA
21 Jan 22 Tullikamari (FI) Tampere
22 Jan 22 Kulttuuritalo (FI) Helsinki
23 Jan 22 Helitehas (EE ) Tallinn
25 Jan 22 Stodola (PL) Warsaw
26 Jan 22 Huxleys (DE) Berlin
27 Jan 22 Longhorn (DE) Stuttgart
28 Jan 22 Batschkapp (DE) Frankfurt
29 Jan 22 Roxy (CZ) Prague
30 Jan 22 Arena (AT) Vienna
01 Feb 22 Akvarium Klub (HU) Budapest
02 Feb 22 Backstage Werk (DE) Munich
03 Feb 22 Komplex 457 (CH) Zurich
04 Feb 22 Live Club (IT) Milan
05 Feb 22 Ninkasi Kao (FR) Lyon
07 Feb 22 Kapital (ES) Madrid
08 Feb 22 Apolo (ES) Barcelona
09 Feb 22 Metronum (FR) Toulouse
11 Feb 22 O2 Forum Kentish Town (UK) London
12 Feb 22 O2 Ritz (UK) Manchester
13 Feb 22 SWX (UK) Bristol
14 Feb 22 Garage (UK) Glasgow
15 Feb 22 KK’s Steelmill (UK) Wolverhampton
17 Feb 22 Rockhal (LU) Luxembourg
18 Feb 22 Patronaat (NL) Haarlem
19 Feb 22 Essigfabrik (DE) Cologne
20 Feb 22 Trianon (FR) Paris
22 Feb 22 Trix (BE) Antwerp
23 Feb 22 Gruenspan (DE) Hamburg
24 Feb 22 Amager bio (DK) Copenhagen
25 Feb 22 Rockefeller (NO) Oslo
26 Feb 22 Fållan (SE) Stockholm

SÓLSTAFIR will be touring in support of their latest album ‘Endless Twilight of Codependent Love’. Listen to the record below or order a copy in the Season of Mist shop HERE.

KATATONIA To Release New Album ‘Dead Air’ On November 13th

Posted by tarjavirmakari on September 12, 2020
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Formed in 1991 by Jonas Renkse & Anders Nyström, and transitioning from early pioneers of the rising black/death/doom movement, to powerhouses of the progressive metallic rock genre, 2020 saw KATATONIA present their eleventh studio opus, the poignant City Burials, to unanimous acclaim. And so now, following closely in its footsteps, the Swedish dark rock masters present Dead Air to further immortalise the strangest of times.

With a somewhat unforeseen global event transpiring this year which resulted in touring being made all but impossible for artists internationally, Katatonia conducted a more intimate “lockdown” show which was streamed live from Studio Grondahl, Stockholm on May 9th. Dead Air offers fans a full 88-minute set containing 20 tracks from the band’s extensive and illustrious repertoire to date, with inclusions spanning two decades of dark progressive greatness, and essentially also debuting three of the City Burials album tracks in a live setting.

“Due to an overwhelming demand, we are proud to confirm that our lockdown livestream from Gröndahl earlier this year will now see a physical release where you can re-experience the #20 most wanted songs exclusively voted by our fans from all around the world. This very special evening of May 9th will forever serve us as a memory of something equally weird as fantastic, so it feels essential to make it available as something you can touch and own forever” Anders Nyström

The tracklisting itself contains a very literal selection of fan favourites overall, having being voted for exclusively by the band’s worldwide fanbase, flawlessly flirting between earlier singles such as metallic anthems ‘My Twin’ & ‘July’, to the stirring emotional grandeur of new song, ‘Lacquer’.

The recording, mixing & engineering work was orchestrated by David Castillo, notable for his extensive body of work with Katatonia to date, and the performance itself was professionally filmed by Blackbox Video.

The Dead Air artwork has been created by long-running collaborator, Travis Smith.

Dead Air will be released on the 13th November as a gatefold double LP; a limited edition 3-disc set featuring 2 audio discs and DVD format and digitally and is available to pre-order now.

THE OCEAN Reveal Details For New Album ‘Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic’, Launch First Single “Jurassic | Cretaceous” (Feat. Katatonia’s Jonas Renkse)

Posted by tarjavirmakari on July 3, 2020
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TheOcean-PhanerozoicII

On September 25th, THE OCEAN will release their 8th full-length, Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic, via Metal Blade Records (CD / digital) and the band’s own Pelagic Records (vinyl). In 2018, The Ocean released Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic – the first half of a sprawling but superbly cohesive paleontology concept album. Now, the group is ready to release the eagerly-awaited concluding parts of the Phanerozoic journey.

For a first preview of Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic, the new single, “Jurassic | Cretaceous” (featuring Katatonia‘s Jonas Renkse), can be heard at: metalblade.com/theocean – where the record can also be pre-ordered in various formats.

Widely hailed as their finest work to date, Phanerozoic I brimmed with moments of wide-eyed melodic brilliance, alongside the expected warping and weaving of post-metal conventions. “The first part of ‘Phanerozoic‘ really is a ‘no-regrets’ album, which is quite rare,” says guitarist Robin Staps. “Maybe even the first time I can ever say that.”

In contrast with the compositional directness of Phanerozoic I, the new album – Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic – is a vastly more progressive and perverse piece of work. “‘Phanerozoic II‘ is more experimental, more eclectic in musical style and direction, and more varied in terms of tempos, beats, guitar work and the use of electronics,” notes Staps. “This was an intentional choice: we wanted Part I to feel rather streamlined and to have a strong cohesion between the individual songs. We wanted to create a certain vibe to linger from the first until the last note throughout the whole record. We kept the weirder, more daring and more progressive material for Part II.”

Tracked in Iceland, Spain and Germany and produced by esteemed studio guru Jens Bogren, Phanerozoic II is underpinned by some of the most imaginative and challenging music that The Ocean – completed by drummer Paul Seidel, keyboard maestro Peter Voigtmann, bassist Mattias Hagerstrand and guitarist David Ramis Åhfeldt – have made yet. Divided into two sections – Mesozoic and Cenozoic – the album once again showcases the detail and depth that have become two of The Ocean‘s most enduring trademarks. While ostensibly delving into the extraordinary realities of the Earth’s shifting temporal tides, Staps and his comrades have long drawn hazy parallels between their chosen subjects and the emotional experiences that their music strives to convey. Phanerozoic II is essentially an album about time, with some very poignant and pointed allusions to the modern world woven into the new music’s spiritual fabric.

Staps explains, “The outcome is a record that is a real journey. It starts in one place, and concludes in a totally different place. In a way, it relates to 2013′s ‘Pelagial‘, which was similar in that it was also a journey: but a more guided, focused and predictable one. ‘Phanerozoic II‘ on the other hand is closer to the experience of free fall.”

Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic track-listing
1. Triassic
2. Jurassic | Cretaceous
3. Palaeocene
4. Eocene
5. Oligocene
6. Miocene | Pliocene
7. Pleistocene
8. Holocene

KATATONIA Release Single And Video For “Behind The Blood”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on March 22, 2020
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

katatonia-cover

KATATONIA have released their new single and video for “Behind The Blood”.  The video was directed by Ash Pears (ashtv.co.uk), watch below.

This track is one of the highlights from new album ‘City Burials’ – coming out April 24th via Peaceville – bursting into life with a trademark screaming guitar solo before dropping into an upbeat distinctive and hugely memorable Katatonia chorus.

Vocalist Jonas Renkse states “’Behind the Blood’ is a celebration of the heavy metal music that we all grew up with, modified to fit the Katatonia universe. Whilst lyrically it is telling the tale of dark revelry, to awaken the blood with the sound and taste of thunder.”

“Behind the Blood” has all the hallmarks of becoming a new classic.

Pre-order ‘City Burials’ here.

 

KATATONIA Release Details Of New Album “City Burials”

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 1, 2020
Posted in: Int. News, News. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

katatonia-cover

The kings return – KATATONIA have released details of the new album “City Burials”.

“In days and nights of black and silver, the dead end king will come. From pieces of broken mirrors there will be a crown bestowed upon his head. In reflections of shattered glass not only the seasons will turn, but also the change disguised by the lapse of time. His mind will have to come to bear the weight of everything that was left behind and forgotten. Archiving the inaccessible. Celebrating the abandoned and mourning the destroyed. The city burials.” Anders Nyström

Surprising their legions of admirers by taking an unexpected break, following the conclusion of their 2016 haunting The Fall Of Hearts album tour cycle. Joyously, 2020 brings the news that they are not only back, but newly armed with arguably their finest album to date, the enormously vivid and powerful City Burials.

With the winds of a new direction steering the band on their latest journey, City Burials stands as Katatonia’s new triumph of deep & enigmatic progressive rock – the fruits of a rejuvenating and profound chapter in the band’s legacy; a catalyst for its creators, with a collection of moments constructed out of the fragments of an ever-evolving life. Compiled into one of their most important modern works and statements to date, the finely-honed instrumentation provides a multi-textured backdrop with the voice of Jonas Renkse guiding us through these latest trials of loss and ruin.

The proof of Jonas and Anders’ enduring artistic bond is displayed throughout City Burials’ absorbing 58 minutes of meticulously crafted melodies and inspired, idiosyncratic arrangements.  From the spine-tingling dynamics of opener “Heart Set To Divide” through and the simmering menace of “Lacquer” to the wildly evocative sorrow-scapes of “City Glaciers” and the exquisitely delicate “Vanishers” (featuring a guest vocal from Anni Bernhard, of Stockholm art rockers Full Of Keys) Katatonia’s eleventh studio album is a showcase for a partnership that was magical from the very start.

Inspired by an injection of fresh blood into Katatonia’s creative brew, with their most recent recruit, guitarist Roger Öjersson, whose contributions have been extremely significant, City Burials is an album that sees the band reclaim part of their heavy metal roots, via several moments of exuberant, old school classicism, deftly woven into these new songs’ kaleidoscopic fabric. Although songs like “Behind The Blood” and “Rein” are as heart-rending and immersive as any in Katatonia’s illustrious catalogue.

The result is an album that looks certain to push the band ever further into the spotlight. With grand plans for extensive touring around the world in support of their latest and perhaps greatest album, Katatonia are wringing fresh hope from life’s gloom-sodden tapestry.

City Burials was produced by Nyström/Renkse and recorded at Soundtrade Studios, Tri-Lamb Studios & The City Of Glass, throughout October & November 2019, with engineering work handled by Karl Daniel Lidén. Artwork appears courtesy of Lasse Hoile, the image itself representing the ongoing era of the Dead End King.

City Burials will be released on CD, deluxe mediabook CD with bonus tracks, black and coloured vinyl LPs with bonus track and digitally (Digital pre-orders receive “Lacquer” as an instant download).

Pre-orders are available (UK) HERE