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I’ve
read lots of great press about this album. I know this
much; it’s made lots of Best of 2009 lists. Justifiably,
I come to Night is the New Day with great expectations.
I have never been a big Katatonia fan. Actually, I am
less of a fan of the style than I am of the band.
Something about me constantly trying to get away from
sugary sounds. It goes with the territory you see; when
you write music with gothic touches that illuminate the
songs, grand choruses (verging on pop) that serve as
highlights, sublime synth work that adds charisma and
color, not so sublime programming that reveals an
admirable level of detail and retort to the formulaic,
explosions of controlled heaviness, etc, etc; chances are your
music is too uncool for school. Thing is, this album
has all of the above, but it’s got no sugar.
Katatonia is
a different proposition. It’s hard to resist their rock. And I
say rock with some trepidation because Night is the New Day,
despite its frequent use of metal guitars and progressive
arrangements, is as much a rock record as it is a metal record.
And a lush rock record at that. It’s impossible to appreciate
these songs and not feel admiration just because of the ‘love’
that seems to have gone into them. The trick is here; pay close
attention via headphones and discover little by little the
constant unveiling of sounds. The music is there, but search
beyond the guitars, the voice and the drums, and even beyond the
keyboards and you’ll find more colors than in a Pollock. It’s
all a bit dark and dank, of course. No loud reds or yellows or
pinks, but it’s there. And in such volume that one could think,
it's all a matter of being subliminal.
But it’s not
only the sound effects that make up Night is the New Day, but
the songs themselves, which from the get go bloom, only to bloom
time and time again. This way, we have an album that as bloated
as it may seem is grounded and sobered by the brilliancy and
poignancy of its songwriting.
There are eleven songs here.
Eleven memorable tunes of melancholic melodies and perfectly
accentuated choruses that provide enduring staying power. The
contrasts in volume in “The Longest Year” for instance, are
major, a big deal, but despite these peaks and valleys there is
certain linearity to the melodies. Like latter day Amorphis,
Katatonia have found the right balance between metal, and some
sort of elegant rock.
Official Site
MySpace
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