CITY BURIALS

KATATONIA is an epic black / doom band a bit death and gothic when they were born in 1991! 21st album with live performances, 11th studio album, 4 years after their last delivery, he has worked to get the THEATER OF TRAGEDY, MY DYING BRIDE, PARADISE LOST or ANATHEMA, RETROSPECTIVE even more recently recognized. A good metallic rock with progressive connotations and dreamlike melancholic variations sprinkled with freshness. A more nervous album, less prog, more direct, lively and powerful, emotional according to Jonas. "City Burials" represents a catalyst for its creators, with a collection of titles constructed from the fragments of an ever-changing life. The finely played chords move away from the original KATATONIA sound to retransmit the band's journey, its doubts, its thoughts and its rebirth with this heavier old school metal opus and its touch of classicism. An album full of atmosphere and spleen due to the musicians' thoughts retranslating their fragile emotions about wear and the passage of time here and there. The LP and CD versions have a plus in the form of bonus tracks.

"Heart Set To Divide" starts the album with a crystalline voice, an ethereal, half-hovering, half-melancholy vibe until an energetic but controlled break; no shedding, just the tempo set to signify the band's paw; light synths, riffs, clear vocals and finally a good tune in the current doom prog; "Behind The Blood" follows with a very sharp solo from the start, then the energy of the heartbreaking title which gives the second main source of the group. "Lacquer" follows for a spleen, ambient, plaintive track, slow and bewitching tempo, already allowing to cut the atmosphere by a fracture, a shuddering track which should explode even more live in my opinion, also symphonic limit and the voice of Jonas well put forward with the different oppressive keyboards; It's pure, enjoyable, it's atmospheric.

"Kidney" then for a stronger, more languid track with Anders and Roger's guitar surrendering the notes; the well-placed battery allows the progressive break to break out at best, it's nervous and latent at the same time, the final climb can send you into a trance, be careful, the immersion is more than predictable! Note the progressive scents that emerge throughout the album without real sequences or precise breaks, the notes are bewitching, melancholic and form a musical space-time where the title seems to take on more length. "The Winter Of Our Passing" comes back to a tune in line with what I listened to at home a few years ago, also at PARADISE LOST for its heady and wonderful sound at the same time.

Already "Vanishers" signs half of the album, title here again more airy, raw, clear, a little tranquility for a romantic and atmospheric ballad in the tradition of a great ANATHEMA with its small end in decrescendo; to note Anni BERHHARD who comes to lend her voice on it with delicacy. "City Glaciers" for the biggest title, 5'30 "of gothic rhythm and variations giving a serene, calm and hypnotizing atmosphere, spleen also on a melodic and nervous side; a rhyme that also reminds me of RETROSPECTIVE at times. "Flicker" more metronomic, more choppy, with more synths too, almost oppressive and an oriental solo on the guitar, a good dense title, rhythmic with a final rise that suits me, one of my favorites.

"Lachesis" arrives for the small psyche, airy, piano interlude bringing Jonas' rocky voice to an aged and crisp soundtrack. "Neon Epitaph" for a somewhat agreed-upon opus, not bad in itself, but quite predictable; however the voice is more worked and plays with the various instruments. "Untrodden" already ends the album with a title reflecting all the knowledge of the group: clear, languid, plaintive and warm voice, syncopated rhythm peering towards pure rock, towards heavy and heavy rock with here a dreamlike guitar solo, this which is still a little lacking on the rest of the titles; an extended track full of a depressive and happy atmosphere.

Here, the chronicle of the titles is quite fast in fact, given the rather simple titles taken one by one, these same titles which, without connection between them, form a continuity by the intensity launched over the notes, by the force of the syncopated rhythm at times, limpid and icy of the other; a concept by the atmospheric environment lavished by these seasoned musicians and who begin to synthesize the substance of their dreamlike experiences to transcribe it here. An album for fans of cold and icy prog metal, that good sound that warms up with its abyssal and ethereal side, fresh and suffocating, playful and depressive, a KATATONIA that gets better with age, who would have believed that after more than 30 years of activity?