Katatonia
Last fair deal gone down

THE REVIEW

I don't think I can write a completely unbiased or entirely impartial review. I've loved Katatonia since their early beginnings, from their demo Jhva Elohim Meth. But no one, like them, has been able to shift towards accessible sounds without being easy-listening or commercial, absolutely not (even though they were prompted —as admitted by Renkse— by his vocal cords, but they have borne excellent fruits!) without falling into the decline as has —unfortunately— happened to Amorphis.

This chapter closes the decidedly dark trilogy that began with the unsettling and very sad Discouraged Ones and continued with the soft Tonight’s Decision. Of the three, it's certainly the most varied and mature, a true masterpiece. Perhaps I haven't introduced it with "a fanfare," but the CD speaks for itself and needs no words. The lyrics are more than enough to penetrate; rather, it should be listened to repeatedly until all its angles are grasped, with each listen providing always new, different, and sublime sensations. That's the goal of a great album. How often do we witness technically prepared bands, nearly perfect, with an infinite budget that allows them to spend immensely on image and production (Stratovarius, for example) but that lack "soul"?

Let yourself be accompanied into the solitude and anguish of LFDGD, enter the world sung and suffered by Jonas Renkse (one of the most extraordinary voices in metal, I believe, along with the singer of Opeth). Apart from the first track (not bad, but less engaging), the album is a succession of emotions, a crescendo of thoughts and reflections.

Let yourself be taken by Tonight’s Music (surely the most catchy track of the CD), let yourself be carried away by the dark breeze of Clean Today, I Transpire, Sweet Nurse, Don’t Tell a Soul, Chrome, Teargas. Beautiful. A stab to the liver has never been so sweet…

Kudos not only to the musicians but also to the usual Travis Smith who took care of the artwork. The one in my possession is the digipak version with the cross-shaped opening. All the images, blurred, evoke the same sensations as the CD. Thank you Smith, thank you Katatonia. Again. Perhaps, I will never stop...