If a requiem for humanity feels close at hand, Katatonia could serve up the soundtrack while it all fades to black. Darkly romantic, meritoriously melancholic, few bear the dark torch quite so well. Over thirty years into their career, on January 20th, Katatonia emerge having cut out their hallowed heart, ready to lay it, still beating, on the table for all to behold. Their latest offering, ‘Sky Void of Stars’, feeling the way it sounds.
If 2020’s ‘City Burials’ and 2016’s ‘The Fall of Hearts’ favored a more ambient auditory experience, ‘Sky Void of Stars’ relinquishes this to an extent, creating a wider space for a heavier approach to take hold. When “Artium” presents itself, it is impossible not to feel the boot of drummer, Daniel Moilanen, hit the stomach of the kick drum. A beautiful violence that tells a story you need not be precisely aware of to feel it. Taken up a notch further in “Austerity.” Unapologetically illuminating, their gloomier, doomier, and moodier traits remain embedded in the band’s DNA. For fans fervently seeking more tender undertones, there are hopeful beacons of light to be found here, too.
Swathed in Katatonia’s atmospheric, ethereal trademark sound, each of the eleven tracks featured on ‘Sky Void of Stars’ were written and composed by vocalist Jonas Renkse. Something of a dark star in his own right, Renkse sings like a man whose eyes never smile, even when his face pretends to. Captured in performances such as “Author”, reflecting a purposely fragile temper wedded to an explosive delivery. Elevated by guitarists Anders Nyström and Roger Öjersson on the leading single, “Birds”, and the album’s finest moment, “Opaline.” Stealing the spotlight in both style and merit. Leaving the listener wanting more. Unfortunately, there is little else here that operates within the same realm.
On ‘Sky Void of Stars’, the somber textures that have shaped the last six years take a backseat. Allowing for heavier elements to place both hands on the wheel. While their reduced presence is missed, there remains a transcendent depth at play. Though it may not be as apparent upon the first listen, when you least expect it, something reaches out from that depth. A vibrance in the darkness. Melodies that embody the kind of intense sonority that make them feel like modern-day hymns. Eulogies with indelible feelings, more interested in interpreting the world than representing it mendaciously. The kind that can step out of a song and follow you home. Another gift few can lay claim to, but which Katatonia continue to execute with grace.
