Katatonia music reviews

This record by Katatonia strikes me as very emotional and urban. I picture a dark, chilly, overcast, February day in an industrial area of a city like Chicago, Cleveland or Pittsburgh. It isn't glamourous. They have the trademark effect of the "deep weeping" (as I like to put it) lead guitar which makes them soooo unique. Standout songs are Dispossession, Chrome, The Future of Speech, and especially Tonight's Music. If you like dark style rock or metal like Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Lacuna Coil, or Anathema, I would highly recommend Katatonia if you've never listened to them. This record is the best of thier latest three. Tonight's Music and Viva Emptiness have some great songs too so I would recommend them as well. Viva Emptiness has a much more "alternative" sound to it, but its very similar.

Well, let me start off by saying that this is Katatonia's best effort to date. If you're any kind of a Katatonia fan, or emotional rock fan, get this album. And listen to it. Religiously. Depending on where you come from, yes, this album may be a little inaccessible at first. If you're a seasoned fan of emotional rock or heavy metal, or if you're just an avid music fan and dive headlong into anything that you listen to, then you should have no problem getting into this album from the first listen. It's not as heavy and the mix isn't as dense as their previous work, or their latest offering, Viva Emptiness. Which I guess makes it prog rock. But it builds up more to the climaxes, and more intelligently, with breath-taking emotional guitar work. Erm... everything on this album is full of hopelessness and despair. It just envelopes and embodies this entire album... the atmosphere is unbelievable. Katatonia became a much more professional, polished act with this album. The vocals on their previous 2 efforts, Tonight's Decision and Discouraged Ones, seemed a bit more forced... he, er - wailed a bit more, if you will... almost whined. And the vocals throughout this entire album seem effortless, but are more hollow and thoroughly depressing than anything else I've heard previously or since. Perhaps reflecting changes in their lives as well. :\ But he truly sounds like a man who's on his last stand. Though I'll let you listen to the album and find out for yourself.

Sure this is a far cry from Katatonia's early work; the average listener can hear whats being said, there is minimal if any barking, screaming or growling, and all-in-all just sounds considerably less death-metal-y. Nevertheless, there is something about this music which I think most if not all popular bands today can learn from; we all know Maralyn Manson likes to complain about Catholics/Christians, and Eminem likes to complain about the government and various elected officials, and Trent Reznor just likes to complain about society in general. Here's where Katatonia is considerably different, and vastly better in my opinion - it's just one line from one song - "What is wrong, not with the world, but me." It's so easy to point the finger and preach about whats wrong with everyone else, these guys however have taken it upon themselves not to take the hacks way out, and to rather turn that critical eye back on themselves. This is truly a CD of self-exploration. Simply put, this CD is exceptional. Buy it.

Katatonia meld their own atmospheric style of moody heavy metal with morose funeral doom and the results are outstanding. these 2cd set compiles their early mini albums into one handy package for those who missed it the first time around... people like me. so count yourself lucky to get your hands on Brave Yester Days.
musically, this band seems to share alot in common with those seminal UK alternative rock bands like Joy Division or The Cure. very slow passages built up with emotional tension and bleak atmosphere, rather than anger or aggression. but Katatonia approach it from a black metal standpoint. on later albums, this band would transform into a much more mainstream sound, and to brilliant effect, i might add. but it's nice to peek into Katatonia's dusty cobweb encrusted closet and discover these gloomy bleak gems.

first off i was skeptical about buying this cd becuase i own all of the other cd's by katatonia and i thought this would be just another "hits" cd's...i am ashamed i thought that of katatonia...one of the most inspiring bands ive ever had the chance to listen to. most of the songs on here ive never heard before and i own dance up to viva. they all are high quality songs. a treat to me especially was an alternative version of my favorite katatonia song "black erotica". and look for a box set at the end of march.

This is a great compilation of the band's now mostly unavailable EP's. For fans like me, who got into the band fairly recently and still want to collect everything, this is perfect. It is mostly older material, similar to "Brave Murder Day," which I like better then their newer material. This includes the following EPs in their entirety, which are probably all out of print: "Jhva Elohim Meth," "For Funerals to Come," "Sounds of Decay," and "Saw you Drown," also 2 tracks from "War Compilation Vol. 1"... apparently some compilation they contributed to. It also includes some tracks from full albums also, "Dance of December Souls," which might be very hard to find, (but only includes 2 out of 8 tracks) and "Brave Murder Day"... which shouldn't be that hard to find, I don't think. But that also includes only 2 of 6 tracks.

The first EP is "Jhva Elohim Meth," I'm assuming is their very first, and is very good. It includes an early version of "Without God" later found on "Dance of December Souls," and the epilogue is cool sounding :) The War Compilation includes "Black Erotica" which is an earlier version of "12" from Brave Murder Day, and "Love of the Swan" which is also very good. The whole EP "For Funerals to Come" is amazing and an absolutely essential part of this band, except the last song which is some weird experimentation. "Sounds of Decay" on disc 2 is almost the same case. "Nerve" and "Saw you Drown" can be heard on "Discouraged Ones" and both are excellent songs, "Saw you Drown" being one of my top favorite Katatonia songs. The last two songs were only on the EP, "Quiet World" is very mellow, but keeping the same mood as the rest of Discouraged Ones, and "Scarlet Heavens" is over 10 minutes and also very good of course, nothing on here isn't.

I don't really think this is a great way for fans to discover the band, except maybe for the song "Saw You Drown" and the songs on Brave Murder Day and For Funerals to Come, other than that, it kind of should be the last thing you buy after all their full length albums, as it is a collection of out of print things. I might be wrong though. All I know is I've been listening to it a lot since I got it; it's a great collection and really needed to be done.

This EP was originally released in 1997 and is now out of print. Opeth's frontman, Mikael Akerfeldt, substitutes vocals for Jonas Renkse, who was in the process of regaining his voice from all of the abuse he'd put it through a year earlier. The electric and bass guitars are all produced top notch and are undisputedly the most prevalent instruments on this EP.
The most impressive song on this release is definitely the closing track, "Inside the Fall". With the song's various stages and course changes, even passive listeners are drawn in with ease; it's also an excellent piece for aspiring guitarists to study. It should be noted that an amazing outtake from these sessions, "Untrue", was released in 2004 on the band's two disc retrospective, Brave Yester Days.

After this EP, Katatonia decided to take a new musical direction in order to expand their sound. Although the band wanted to harness what they perceived as a wider, more accessible sound, the situation with Jonas' voice was undoubtedly also taken into consideration during this critical time of transition.

You most likely won't find this EP at a reasonable price on its own, but fear not as it can be found in its entirity on the aforementioned retrospective, Brave Yester Days.

this 20 minute EP, also recorded with Opeth's Akerfelt on vocals, is stylistically similar Brave Murder Day, but i think there are a few differences that make this release very worth while.

Atmosphereically i always felt early on Katatonia gathered influence from death doom and black metal and mixed them in a way that rendered its own sound. As with Brave Murder Day, this recording has the minimal spaced out feel, crunchy guitars, a mid pace, and death metal vocals. this record stays more on the death metal side; most black metal influence is gone, but some of the freezing melodic feeling of 'true' black metal is here. the lead guitar is more prevelant now, and this allows the recording to be very emotionally strong. while brave murder day was more numb than this record (not that this isn't numb sounding), Sounds of Decay is even more despondant in its melodies.

the opening track 'no where' is one of my absolute favorite katatonia tracks, along with 'rain room,' 'gateways of berevement,' 'quiet world,' and the 'sleeper.' the leads here are quite complex, shifting all over, while the rest of the band drones out in mid paced minimalism. the lead guitar touches the absolute brink of despondancy, and the lyrics will attest to it, but the vocals are rather low in the mix, adding more to the rhythm guitars and bass than they do to the flow of the songs, leaving the lead guitar to control everything. the same is basically true for 'at last,' and 'inside the fall,' while the final track 'untrue' is a bit weird, mostly clean guitar, but then blasting in for a few moments with growling and distorted guitars.

over all, if you like early katatonia, especially brave murder day, you need to get this. in fact, brave yester days is worth getting just because it includes this EP and Saw You Drown.

finally i'd just like to add that katatonia was always a band that changed a lot, this recording sounds almost nothing like the more black metal influenced Dance of December Souls, so those who cannot understand how they switched to clean vocals should listen a bit harder.

This is what Katatonia should of sounded on Brave Murder Day and For Funerals To Come. Probably (In My Honest Opinion)the saddest of early Katatonia. The guitar work on this three song piece, and this piece alone, really strikes you in the heart. Depressing with no hope, a beautiful, usually underrated piece in all of this genre.

I have found this on the eastern European edition of Brave Murder Day as bonus tracks. And if you cannot find the Sounds Of Decay ep, buy the Brave Murder Day import. A must have for anyone who has any of Katatonia's recordings!

Any fan of Katatonia needs this single! The song "help me disappear" shows kat taking their music to a new level and Jones is really showing off his vocal talent. Plus the cover song let me in on a very great artist by the name of Will Oldham(aka Bonny prince billy) who I think fans of Katatonia will enjoy.

By and far, the best Katatonia album. Do you like your music dark, depressing, gloomy and angst-filled? Then you should have this album in your collection. LFDGD is leaps and bounds beyond anything the band has recorded thus far. Songs about alienation, depression, loneliness . . . it's all here. Entwining evocative, moody vocals and superb muscianship, Katatonia have raised the bar, not only for themselves, but for everyone else. In these days of rap/metal's chugging riffs, it's almost a joy to hear an actual ... guitar solo (gasp!). You owe it to your music collection to get this album. Katatonia have bared their souls on this excellent album.

Some of the standout tracks include Dispossession, Tonight's Music, The Future of Speech, Passing Bird and my personal favorite, My Sweet Nurse.

Katatonia is another band who has transcended from one genre of music into an entirely different one, and as with many other bands who go through this maturing process, it's been for the better. If you listened to Brave Murder Day and then this album, you wouldn't believe it was the same band. Whereas Brave Murder Day was pretty much straight up death metal, and not all that intense or talented at that, Last Fair Deal Gone Down is moody, melodic, tragic, and most of all, mellow rock/metal with strictly clean vocals. Considering that many lovers of extreme metal in any of its forms are very closed minded, some people might not like this, but if you can appreciate well, written music that just plain sounds good, this is a great investment for you. Sweet Nurse, Passing Bird, and the opening track, Dispossession are my favorites on this cd, but unlike many albums, there arent any bad songs on this one. You can play it straight through and enjoy every minute of it. Buy this now.

I've listened to this album to the point where the 'catchiness' has completely worn off and I'm left with nothing but a total fascination that any handful of people could create something so deeply emotive with such stunning musicianship. I've listened to this album all the way through more than eighty times so far. I can't say I've listened to ANY CD in my collection for anywhere close to that. This is what music is all about.

Every song is excellent. Not only that, but the flow of the album is perfect. You can't help but go from one song to the next. You just can't skip any song. Few bands know how to create a perfect flow on an album and fewer still have the humility enough to throw out perfectly good material just because those songs couldn't keep the right flow to the album - and if you've heard the two songs on the Teargas EP, you'll know that they threw out some excellent songs.

I have tried, but cannot categorize this album. It seems to draw on traditional rock music while adding the best elements of newer rock. Their songs seem totally familiar and catchy, while still seeming totally ground breaking and fresh. The melodies are beautiful, but left-of-center with their off key touches at just the right places to create very vivid emotions. You almost won't notice it, but you will feel it. They are as heavy and oppressive as many metal bands, but strangely, they don't seem at all metal. I could swear they're on the verge of inventing a new style of music.

This should be in every music lover's collection. Peaceville placed a sticker on the front of the digipack that proclaimed it "the best Peaceville album ever" and I don't think it says enough. It is simply the best album I've ever heard.

I like Katatonia, and I have a lot of respect for the music they created and create now. My first album that I bought of theirs was "Tonight's Decision" and I was overall very pleased. Now I am searching for "Last Fair Deal Gone Down". However, I saw this in a record store and I couldn't just let it sit there unnoticed. I bought it, popped it into my cd player and listened for what was about to come. Now I knew that this was completely different from the newer albums, so I was prepared for what I was going to hear. Overall, I am not displeased. Although this has taken me a great deal of time to get used to it.
My first complaint, these songs are far too slow! I know this record is supposed to sound very gloomy and like doom metal, and it definitely does. But I wish they could have made these songs faster. It seems like it's ten minutes of slow guitars, a growling vocalist that sounds on the verge of tears(I do find that neat how well it fits the albums atmosphere)and percussion that sounds as easy as 1,2,3. Now believe me, these guys are great musicians, and I suppose the drumming and the guitars are ment to be. I guess i'm just not into this whole genre yet.
My second complaint are the lyrics to "Without God". Yes, I am christian, and yes, I do listen to all the types of metal. I'm sure god is up there shaking his head at me right now, but i'll recover in the long run. Anyway, I do not want to sound like a holy roller at all, but these lyrics are just stupid, pointless, and kind of offensive. And I know many of you are going to think well if it doesn't work for you, don't listen to it, and shut up. It works, the music is great, but these lyrics I could do without. Anyway, on to the album. My favorite songs are "Without God"(Except for the lyrics), "Velvet Thorns...", and "Dancing December". On "Dancing December" must be some of the most beautiful guitar and some of the weirdest ever. I love the riff with the echo laden onto it. I'd say buy this album, try something new. If you don't like slow music, and depressing vocals, do not buy this. I am pleased, for the most part. But please do not let my review stop you from buying this album, it is a great piece of music, just not my exact type.

Katatonia's debut full-length album takes off where their earlier EP "Jhva Elohim Meth... the Revival" ended. With a similar sound (yet superior production) and song structures, this is doom / death metal in its earliest form. Everything that impressed about the EP was expanded upon with "Dance of December Souls". 8 tracks of utterly desperate, tortured despair that is both morbidly crushing and exquisitely beautiful at the same time.
Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride can be heard in early Katatonia, and yet they most definitely captured their own sound. Lord J. Renkse's vocals are somewhere in between the black metal style and the more guttural death metal growl. He manages to sound both formidable and yet very human and vulnerable at the same time. But it's the keyboard and guitar work of Blackheim that make these early releases so special. His constantly stirring riffs and melodies are simply stunning and his atmosphere accumulating yet fairly uncomplicated keyboards are no less genius. Highlights for me are the two 13 minute tracks ("Velvet Thorns (of Drynwhyl)" and "Tomb of Insomnia") which give the band enough space to branch out creatively while holding to common themes.
While I find "Dance of December Souls" to be a wonderful album, it does not reach the heights that "Brave Murder Days" would do just a couple of years later. It is also worth mentioning that fans of the modern day Katatonia, being anything from 1998's "Discouraged Ones" onwards, may not find this to their liking as it's a far heavier, rawer form of metal. That's not to say you shouldn't check it out, as all the common Katatonia ingredients are in place, just cooked at a somewhat more extreme temperature. I personally have remained a fan from the very beginning right through to today, even though the band have dramatically transformed during that time.
If you like doom / death metal such as the bands mentioned earlier then this album is a highly recommended purchase.

Katatonia has always been about creating some of the most depressing and thought provoking music released, but unlike their modern stance - which is in the same genre as early Mogwai and Anathema - their earlier years were full of head on black metal magic with a strong and palpable doom sound. 'Dance of December Souls' is a landmark release for this genre, some how defining it. The aggressive growl present on this album is excellent, one of my personal favorites, also the death growl that accompanies several of the tracks is great as well - I personally wish that the singer did not depart from Katatonia. The guitars seem to be there to only texture the songs, it goes from your simple every-day riffs to a completely unexpected array of complexities. Probably the defining sound on this album comes from the bass. It seems to wrap around your body while listening to the album in its entirety, seemingly strangling you while at the same time comforting you. The songs are all incredebly heartfelt and wholy depressing, but always seem to get you to head bang and think at the same time. Granted, the lyrics are not close to as great as they are now, even at some points cheesey, but I personally think that they match perfectly with the record. The standout tracks are "Dancing December" and "Without God" (my personal favorite). 'Dance of December Souls' is easily Katatonia's best work right behind 'Last Fair Deal Gone Down', a classic and a must listen to fans of doom.

I recently went through the Katatonia discography and i must say this is probably my favorite album by them that is in circulation. They also really have me going on the Gothic and Doom Metal which i had been only minimally exposed too. The lyrics are really well written and the musicians play there instruments incrediably well. My favorite track is probably the instrumental "Inside the City of Glass." I hate to make comparisons but this track sounds very much like Opeth, however most of there other stuff is only somewhat reminiscent of them, and they do definetly have there a sound to there own. What really drew me in was that the band Sybreed [one of my favorites], lists these guys as an influence and i can definetly see why. "Viva Emptiness" is an outstanding record and id definetly recommend it to anyone who listens too Type O Negative, Paradise Lost, Opeth, Sybreed, or even Lacuna Coil.

My first experience with Katatonia was with Viva Emptiness. I was not sure what to expect, I heard they were similar to Opeth and Anathema. Let me say that this is nothing like either band. I cannot really compare Katatonia to any other band, as they have a sound of their own. They are one of the most unique bands I have ever heard. Criminals is such a powerful song. The lyrics to Evidence almost made me cry when I first heard. This is a really emotional album.

Ghost of the Sun: 10/10
Sleeper: 9/10
Criminals: 10/10 (My favorite Katatonia song ever)
A Premonition: 10/10
Will I Arrive: 9/10
Burn the Resembrance: 10/10
Wealth: 7/10
One Year From Now: 10/10
Walking By A Wire: 9/10
Complicity: 10/10
Evidence: 10/10
Omerta: 10/10
Inside The City Of Glass: 7/10

Total: 121/130 = 9.3/10
Grade: A

Don't hesitate to buy Viva Emptiness if you like Opeth, Anathema or Dark Tranquillity. They have their similarities, but Katatonia is a totally unique band. Recommended.

well if your the depressed type then here is your cure, katatonia this band will definely lift you up when your down on yourself, trust me i was born depressed i suffer from it. but on the other hand this is a great melodic metal album. katatonia is kinda like opeth when your a new listener their kinda hard to digest when listing too, but when their music crawls inside your brain your hooked and theres no letting go. so throw away your prozac and grab katatonias albums you want be diappointed.

Having already established themselves at the forefront of Sweden's rising doom-metal scene alongside contenders such as Paradise Lost and Anathema, Katatonia had defined all albums prior to Discouraged Ones with sludge-like, yet driving metal rhythms and the tortured wails of vocalist/drummer Jonas Renske. Yet after growing tired of the scene they were performing in, Katatonia risked alienating their entire fanbase at the expense of music which came off not quite as brutal. This album is probably the smartest decision in Katatonia's career up to this point, and would be the future reference of the new sound of Katatonia, one employing clean vocals, more interesting musical ideas, and overall just better production and music.

Discouraged One lacks any rhythmic complicity, with every song being played in standard 4/4 time, set up in verse/chorus/verse structures, and every chorus depending on simple barre chord strumming patterns. But complex rhythm changes would not be a primary focus for this dark Swedish outfit until Last Fair Deal Gone Down and Viva Emptiness. What Discouraged Ones is concerned with is building a unique and gloomy atmosphere, focusing more on Jonas Renske' newfound vocal style and overly depressing lyrics. This is perfect music for a cold autumn night by the fire, pondering regrets and lamenting lost loved ones.

Just about every track will sound almost identical to the untrained ear on the first few listens, but once the album is given time the subtle differences start to appear and the beauty of this recording really starts to stand out. Of note is the track "Saw You Drown", which lyrically depicts a tormented man drowning his unsuspecting lover, as well as the appropriately titled "Instrumental", which shows that guitarist Anders Nystrom can actually play fast and hold an interesting solo over beautiful mellotron voicings. Technically it's not the best Katatonia album, but atmospherically it cannot be beat.

I have to agree with many of the other reviewers; at the heart of this album's appeal is it's simplicity. Some of the rythm guitar is incredibly basic alternating between a few chords. The song writing is simple and verse/chorus based for the most part. These things are easy to communicate but what cannot be effectively communicated in writing is the incredible atmosphere of this CD.
Katatonia's previous release "Brave Murder Day" was a wonderfully dirgy Doom Metal album. On this album the band have taken some of that style as an influenced and mixed it with alt-rock to produce a sound remniscent of many 80s goth bands.
There is nothing particularly mindblowing about any of the instrumental performances, although the ghostly lead guitar and detuned rythm guitar are key to the band's sound. The performance that is truly breathtaking is Jonas Renske's vocal performance. On many of the songs different tones of the same lines are mixed to procude a haunting sound. Just listen to the second chorus on "nerve". On the final track, "ditrust" Renske seems gripped by hopelessness, as if he were a man looking back on a wasted life from his death bed. The words sound as if they are barely making it out of his lips. Make no mistake, this is an unforgettable vocal performance.
The album is predictably depressing and saying that alone should dictate whether or not you would be interested in this album. Don't expect flashy technique and adventurous song writing. Just expect an utterly gloomy yet incredibly beautiful listening experience.

katatonia is my favorite band up there with opeth. I could review all of thier albums because they all are masterpieces but this one sticks out right now because i am learning to play cold ways.

This is it. It's Katatonia's finest moment in what is a fantastic musical career. I think it's the album where they really found their perfect sound and clicked as a band. Everything the band released previously, while very good, had moments of awkwardness and imperfection. Everything they've released since, while fairly incomparable due to its difference in style (the "Sounds of Decay" EP excluded) simply cannot match this album for emotional depth and exquisite beauty.
Every time I put "Brave Murder Day" on it captivates me. The band utilizes minor keys consistently to grasp at my emotions and beautiful harmonies that make me feel like weeping with happiness. They use hypnotic repetitious themes to get under my skin, and then various interludes and slight changeups to hold me in a state of trance-like rapture.
Blackheim and Fredrik's guitar work is absolutely awesome. Their mid paced riffing and lead work is what makes "Brave Murder Day" work so astoundingly well. They manage to create an extremely dark and desperate mood, without ever plodding into boredom territory. Borrowing Mikael Akerfeldt from Opeth for vocal duties, whom I consider to be one of metal's best vocalists, only adds to the brilliance with his tortured guttural outbursts taking their previous sound to a totally new level. Jonas' drumming deserves mention also. While he never reaches high levels of technicality, he proves that less is more when it comes to death / doom metal, adding minor double bass sections and cymbal variances regularly, yet at all the right times to be effective.
If you have even the slightest tendencies towards doomy death metal, then "Brave Murder Day" is a completely essential album, sitting at the very top of the genre alongside My Dying Bride and Saturnus. It also stands as one of my very favourite albums of any genre...ever! Future Katatonia albums would travel a different path (one less aggressive, yet still filled with loss and despair), which I can only see as a fairly decent decision, as it would be futile to even attempt to make a better album in this style than "Brave Murder Day".

Brave Murder Day is fourty near-perfect minutes painfully slow, plodding doom/death metal that invokes feelings of emptiness, loneliness and sadness, and yet, throughout the entire album, maintains a sense of optimism.

The first track, "Brave," is an epic, ten minute peice that must be the most accomplished song on the album. It cycles through riffs in an almost orchestral way and is practically hypnotic. For ten minutes it draws you in and does not let go. Another personal favourite of mine is the haunting ballad, "Day," which may just be one of the most beautiful songs ever written. It's lonely and dark, and certainly the most emotionally affecting song that Katatonia has ever released.

Some fans were extremely disappointed after Katatonia decided to explore more alternative yet equally dark areas after releasing the Sounds of Decay EP (which was basically the counterpart of Brave Murder Day). I personally believe after creating a masterpiece like this, there was nothing left for them to achive in this genre, so they decided to pursue more depressing music with all clean vocals, distinguishing themselves from hundreds of other bands. It would be best to think of Katatonia in two phases: their earlier doom-death period with albums like Dance of December Souls and Brave Murder Day as well as several EPs, and their more recent starting with the release of Discouraged Ones. Both eras of the bands are amazing, though I feel Brave Murder Day will always remain as most people's number one album.

For their second full-length album, the band decided to enlist the help of their friend Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth to do the vocals, since Jonas Renkse was unable to produce any harsh vocals at the time. I've always argued that Brave Murder Day contains Mikael Akerfeldt's best vocal peformance (outside Opeth that is), as he's never sung with so much pain and emotion before or after. He sure has improved a lot over the years, both as a growler and clean singer, but his vocals on this album are unparalleled.

The album starts with the 10-minute "Brave", perhaps the most definitive Brave Murder Day song. Grey guitar lines slowly dissolve during tense, mournful passages thanks to the distant, simple production of Opeth's and Katatonia's earlier producer Dan Swano. The whole album is laced with repeated key themes, which show little variation on the following songs, giving the impression that they are just parts of a huge composition a la Edge of Sanity's Crimson (also featuring Mikael Akerfeldt as a guest). The growls on the piece are low and sound extremely tortured, climaxing during the line that says, "Wherever you are I am not". That is possibly Mikael Akerfeldt's longest and most emotional scream ever recorded. Add to this Blackheim's haunting guitar melody that keeps churning forever. Thus, a doom-death metal masterpiece is complete. "Murder" is perhaps the most simple cut on the album. Only half as long, slowly strummed guitar chords and a repetitive melody bring the piece an added clarity while Akerfeldt delivers the lyrics with utmost conviction.

"Day" features Jonas Renkse's clean voice from start to finish. Since Renkse played the drums on Brave Murder Day, they decided to use a static drum machine for this particular song. The guitars are repetitive in a hypnotic fashion. Granted Renkse has come a long way as singer over the last years (particularly from Last Fair Deal Gone Down onwards), his vocals on this track are very emotive and the "Let's stay here for a while" chorus is infectious. On the final track "Endtime", Renkse and Akerfeldt sing together, with Akerfeldt doing the growls (do I have to repeat you've never heard him growl like this before?) and Renkse the clean vocals. Mostly acoustic, the song bears effective guitar waves and a solemn, gloomy pace. On the other hand, "Rainroom" has a nice yet dark acoustic interlude and a very powerful guitar theme. "12" is the album's most progressive number, and in many ways similar to the first two Opeth albums, particularly Morningrise. The Dan Swano influence is impossible to overlook here, as the songs goes through several movements, ignoring any conventional songwriting formulas. The intro of this song is simply fantastic: utterly dark, it even destroys the smallest glimpse of hope. Huge, cascading doom riffs explode only to reinvent themselves with ever-changing chord progressions (though it's all done so subtly that you may not understand anything upon first listen).

If you get the re-release of Brave Murder Day, you'll also hear the For Funerals to Come EP, consisting of four tracks, featuring original singer Jonas Renkse. This is a great EP with some great songs, but Renkse's harsh vocals simply pale in comparison to Akerfeldt's, both on this album and its successor: the Sounds of Decay EP.

All in all, this album is easily a milestone in doom-death and quite possibly the favourite album of most Katatonia fans.

This is it. It's Katatonia's finest moment in what is a fantastic musical career. I think it's the album where they really found their perfect sound and clicked as a band. Everything the band released previously, while very good, had moments of awkwardness and imperfection. Everything they've released since, while fairly incomparable due to its difference in style (the "Sounds of Decay" EP excluded) simply cannot match this album for emotional depth and exquisite beauty.
Every time I put "Brave Murder Day" on it captivates me. The band utilizes minor keys consistently to grasp at my emotions and beautiful harmonies that make me feel like weeping with happiness. They use hypnotic repetitious themes to get under my skin, and then various interludes and slight changeups to hold me in a state of trance-like rapture.
Blackheim and Fredrik's guitar work is absolutely awesome. Their mid paced riffing and lead work is what makes "Brave Murder Day" work so astoundingly well. They manage to create an extremely dark and desperate mood, without ever plodding into boredom territory. Borrowing Mikael Akerfeldt from Opeth for vocal duties, whom I consider to be one of metal's best vocalists, only adds to the brilliance with his tortured guttural outbursts taking their previous sound to a totally new level. Jonas' drumming deserves mention also. While he never reaches high levels of technicality, he proves that less is more when it comes to death / doom metal, adding minor double bass sections and cymbal variances regularly, yet at all the right times to be effective.
If you have even the slightest tendencies towards doomy death metal, then "Brave Murder Day" is a completely essential album, sitting at the very top of the genre alongside My Dying Bride and Saturnus. It also stands as one of my very favourite albums of any genre...ever! Future Katatonia albums would travel a different path (one less aggressive, yet still filled with loss and despair), which I can only see as a fairly decent decision, as it would be futile to even attempt to make a better album in this style than "Brave Murder Day".

Brave Murder Day is fourty near-perfect minutes painfully slow, plodding doom/death metal that invokes feelings of emptiness, loneliness and sadness, and yet, throughout the entire album, maintains a sense of optimism.

The first track, "Brave," is an epic, ten minute peice that must be the most accomplished song on the album. It cycles through riffs in an almost orchestral way and is practically hypnotic. For ten minutes it draws you in and does not let go. Another personal favourite of mine is the haunting ballad, "Day," which may just be one of the most beautiful songs ever written. It's lonely and dark, and certainly the most emotionally affecting song that Katatonia has ever released.

Some fans were extremely disappointed after Katatonia decided to explore more alternative yet equally dark areas after releasing the Sounds of Decay EP (which was basically the counterpart of Brave Murder Day). I personally believe after creating a masterpiece like this, there was nothing left for them to achive in this genre, so they decided to pursue more depressing music with all clean vocals, distinguishing themselves from hundreds of other bands. It would be best to think of Katatonia in two phases: their earlier doom-death period with albums like Dance of December Souls and Brave Murder Day as well as several EPs, and their more recent starting with the release of Discouraged Ones. Both eras of the bands are amazing, though I feel Brave Murder Day will always remain as most people's number one album.

For their second full-length album, the band decided to enlist the help of their friend Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth to do the vocals, since Jonas Renkse was unable to produce any harsh vocals at the time. I've always argued that Brave Murder Day contains Mikael Akerfeldt's best vocal peformance (outside Opeth that is), as he's never sung with so much pain and emotion before or after. He sure has improved a lot over the years, both as a growler and clean singer, but his vocals on this album are unparalleled.

The album starts with the 10-minute "Brave", perhaps the most definitive Brave Murder Day song. Grey guitar lines slowly dissolve during tense, mournful passages thanks to the distant, simple production of Opeth's and Katatonia's earlier producer Dan Swano. The whole album is laced with repeated key themes, which show little variation on the following songs, giving the impression that they are just parts of a huge composition a la Edge of Sanity's Crimson (also featuring Mikael Akerfeldt as a guest). The growls on the piece are low and sound extremely tortured, climaxing during the line that says, "Wherever you are I am not". That is possibly Mikael Akerfeldt's longest and most emotional scream ever recorded. Add to this Blackheim's haunting guitar melody that keeps churning forever. Thus, a doom-death metal masterpiece is complete. "Murder" is perhaps the most simple cut on the album. Only half as long, slowly strummed guitar chords and a repetitive melody bring the piece an added clarity while Akerfeldt delivers the lyrics with utmost conviction.

"Day" features Jonas Renkse's clean voice from start to finish. Since Renkse played the drums on Brave Murder Day, they decided to use a static drum machine for this particular song. The guitars are repetitive in a hypnotic fashion. Granted Renkse has come a long way as singer over the last years (particularly from Last Fair Deal Gone Down onwards), his vocals on this track are very emotive and the "Let's stay here for a while" chorus is infectious. On the final track "Endtime", Renkse and Akerfeldt sing together, with Akerfeldt doing the growls (do I have to repeat you've never heard him growl like this before?) and Renkse the clean vocals. Mostly acoustic, the song bears effective guitar waves and a solemn, gloomy pace. On the other hand, "Rainroom" has a nice yet dark acoustic interlude and a very powerful guitar theme. "12" is the album's most progressive number, and in many ways similar to the first two Opeth albums, particularly Morningrise. The Dan Swano influence is impossible to overlook here, as the songs goes through several movements, ignoring any conventional songwriting formulas. The intro of this song is simply fantastic: utterly dark, it even destroys the smallest glimpse of hope. Huge, cascading doom riffs explode only to reinvent themselves with ever-changing chord progressions (though it's all done so subtly that you may not understand anything upon first listen).

If you get the re-release of Brave Murder Day, you'll also hear the For Funerals to Come EP, consisting of four tracks, featuring original singer Jonas Renkse. This is a great EP with some great songs, but Renkse's harsh vocals simply pale in comparison to Akerfeldt's, both on this album and its successor: the Sounds of Decay EP.

All in all, this album is easily a milestone in doom-death and quite possibly the favourite album of most Katatonia fans.