OzzyRotten

Nice review, Hell. Very detailed.
Regarding the album, unfortunately, I don’t agree with the rating. I don’t know, I’ve been listening to it for a while now, but I just can’t seem to like it, and after three or four songs, I find myself retreating to "Viva Emptiness" (that one is definitely a 5-star album in my opinion. Not this). Maybe I need more time to absorb it. We’ll see.

So many memories with this EP. I loved the Heartwork (the album) carcass, so much. Beautiful review. Congratulations.

"Riffing almost nu-metal"??? Let's not blaspheme, please! Actually, no... let’s blaspheme: where are you finding these "almost nu-metal" ideas?? In "Liberation," if I read correctly, and therefore, let me reiterate: let’s not blaspheme, please...

I had been "wandering" through these pages for a while, and I had long intended to write about this album. In the end, after reading and re-reading your review, dear friend, I gave up, simply because I wouldn’t have been able to offer a clearer opinion on this work by Katatonia.
Unfortunately, I must admit that I was tremendously disappointed, and two years after its release, after countless listens and re-listens, my judgment hasn’t changed. Let’s be clear, here we hear the "same old" Katatonia: twilight arpeggios, an amplified sense of melancholy, "cascading" riffs (when they aren’t overly affected or drowned out by electronic embellishments), etc. etc. But that’s exactly the point: who would have expected the "same old" Katatonia? For my part, I have always liked Katatonia for their unpredictable attitude, which, with their common denominator of depression and melancholy, managed to reshape their style every time. Not that they didn’t try with this work... Perhaps they should have tried a bit less, or maybe a touch more. But the leap from listening to a band called Katatonia to slipping into a "catatonic" state with this work is indeed very short. And I don't think that's something to praise. I read that Mr. Akerfeldt had a hand in it, and perhaps the Katatonia should have told him to take a walk: certain progressive digressions and intimate steps might work (perhaps) for Opeth, but for heaven’s sake, Katatonia is a different matter! It's likely that all of us, even if it’s hard to admit, were expecting a TGCD part II, given how extraordinary that was, but miracles don’t always happen, and perhaps Katatonia, writing NITND, wasn’t thinking about it at all. However, the bitterness of the missed opportunity remains, and it’s more pressing than ever: why didn’t they try to delve deeper into the sublime root of "The Longest Year" (the best episode on the whole tracklist in my humble opinion), instead of insisting on songs that more than once seem to lose their way, or require half a million listens to be appreciated at least halfway? Artistic subjectivity is all well and good, going over the top is fine, everything’s fine, but why should someone like me spend two years trying to understand such a challenging work when I still have in my ears works like the latest from Paradise Lost, which, despite having similar recordings, grabs hold of the brain and doesn’t let go? We eagerly await the next album. Let’s hope it isn’t ultimately a tombstone for this wonderful band.

It seems that I have become predictable. :)) Well, nothing to say. I just hope that, as I wrote, this album is liked by those who are into this genre. This one and another one, which I believe you will see soon. I thank everyone for the compliments. I always do it too little, and now I take the opportunity. See you soon.

I instead went to see them in Ljubljana with my girlfriend, for the same Progressive Nation Tour, driven more by Opeth than the other bands. However, their very Seventies and Sabbath-like vibe really appealed to me.

I don't want to offend you, for heaven's sake, but it seems you've helped me discover hot water.

For now, I'm voting on the review because I haven't had the pleasure of listening to the album yet. Although the anticipation is already eating away at me. A score of 3 is given for the enormous blasphemy stated at the end of your review: Slayer a band with a "respectable career"? I hope you're joking, because if not, then you should be reproached for your lack of familiarity with the world of Metal: because for a certain period, Slayer represented "The" extreme metal. Nothing less than a respectable career!

You did an amazing job writing about it, and I thank you for introducing me to them: they are fantastic! I found atmospheres that reminded me a lot of something in between Moonspell (in terms of theatricality) and Saturnus (for their sweet, albeit tragic and gloomy melancholy). These are the albums I would like to read about here every day. These are the reviews I enjoy. I'm adding it to my favorites. Thank you again for introducing me to them.

hum.... I'll let you know. In the meantime, congratulations on the review.