Release Date: 20 January 2023
Song Count: 11
Duration: 50 minutes, 38 seconds
Rating: 6.6/10
Description:
Song Count: 11
Duration: 50 minutes, 38 seconds
Rating: 6.6/10
Description:
One of the biggest names in the progressive metal scene, Swedish band Katatonia have thoroughly made a name for themselves since their beginnings in the '90s, sticking with their kind of sonic without a care for conformity and garnering many dedicated fans over time. Today we look at one of their most recent full-length releases, Sky Void of Stars from three years ago, trying to figure out once and for all what the special ingredient hidden in their music is that makes many admire their work to this extent. With this being their twelfth big endeavour overall, the fact that the group has come this far and still produces music to this day even after several hiatuses and changes over the years is a testament to their dedication to the craft.
Throughout the eleven tracks provided within this album, the metal instrumentation rides on the unique grooves and riffs like a surfer on a wave as keeping the ball and momentum rolling becomes a priority. A bit of a rarity to behold for the genre Katatonia represents, the vocals provided by co-founder Jonas Renkse are entirely clean and melodic throughout, synthesising with the instruments to act as the foundation to the emotional and artistic core of the music. Not shying away from toying with small things like percussion kicking beats earlier than expected or mixed time signatures (3/4 and 4/4, in "No Beacon to Illuminate Our Fall"), the songs attempt to strike a balance between sticking to a clearly outlined formula and dashes of inspiration to switch things up and keep listeners engaged.
In spite of these musical curiosities, however, Sky Void of Stars provided little that was yet to be already seen before via either their own previous works or the likes of other bands. While it may be easy to blame the comparatively lighter sound the music carries compared to most other metal and even progressive metal albums, I find that the key factor missing to make things click is an elevated commitment to the unique ideas thrown around on occasion, as well as switching up the general sound to make the individual tracks stand out more rather than blending in into one big conglomerate. Not a result of missing talent by any stretch of the imagination, this piece nevertheless left me with less enjoyment than I was expecting from such a well-regarded band due to the played-out nature of it all. Perhaps a revisit in the future will change my outlook on it, however.