Katatonia
Sanctitude
(Kscope)
Katatonia is no stranger to reinvention. In its first few years the band carried a brisk instrumentation and used growling vocals – categorized then as death metal or death-doom. Long after pitching the growling vocals, opting for clean, singing, sans rasp, Katatonia’s sound has evolved into one that is distinctly theirs. Sanctitude, their new release, was recorded at Union Chapel, London, England on May 16, 2014 on the European Unplugged & Reworked tour. Joined by The Pineapple Thief front man Bruce Soord on guitar and vocals, 17 tracks from the dark rockers’ musical trove are performed. The first track, “In the White,” sucks you in straightaway with Jonas Renske’s lilting vocals and the vast, atmospheric sound of the band. The very live-sounding percussion on the Eastern-tinged “Sleeper” is spellbinding, as is the eerie, pitch-blackness of “One Year From Now.” Fans of the Last Fair Deal Gone Down will dig the stripped-down versions of “Teargas” and “Tonight’s Music.” Silje Wergeland of The Gathering adds her ethereal vocal accompaniment to the “The One You Are Looking For,” the last track. (Charlie Steffens)
