Album Rating: 2.9

haven't heard the debut yet (saving it + expecting good things

Album Rating: 2.5

Easily their weakest record to date

Album Rating: 3.5

winds of no change is generally a better song here but the hail satan bit is so goofy lmao

Album Rating: 3.0

This has some cool moments but way does this feel like this never picks up steam

Album Rating: 2.5

The front half in general is decent but the back half is a complete slog

Album Rating: 3.0

"the hail satan bit is so goofy lmao"



haven't heard a lyric that bad since Viva Emptiness

Album Rating: 2.9

Yeah that line in particular is super cringe lol.

Album Rating: 3.5

other than efter and the closer i think my other highlight here is probably lilac



this is i guess like a 3.2/3.3 idk how long the rating is gonna hold, but this band is inconsistent enough for me that at worst its like, just entering the bottom 3

Album Rating: 2.5

Their best artwork on arguably their least best music.

Album Rating: 3.5

feel like theres a big volume drop in temporal after the guitar solo which is kinda hilarious

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

"Hail Satan" sticks out as goofy when separated from the other lyrics. When not, these two words just sit there and I don't get why they have to be highlighted in every single damn review of this thing like they were a crucial factor in defining its quality.

Album Rating: 2.5

The "hail Satan" lyric is difficult to overlook not just because it is cliche, cheesy, forced and overwrought, but also because its position in the song structure draws a ton of attention toward it. And, on an album with very few memorable choruses, it's one of the only lyrics that is sure to jump out to people who are listening even just casually. The mention of Satan just carries this sort of "look at me, look at what edgy shit I'm saying!" performative connotation anyway. It's not something I would care about in almost any other circumstance, but it sticks out here because there's not a lot of memorable stuff surrounding it. The only other vocal bit that gets stuck in my head is "endless days in the rat race" from Departure Trails. The album is mediocre for reasons that go well beyond that lyric, but the lyric itself jumps out as a quick example of of how desperately empty the search for interesting ideas feels on this record.

I agree with the assessment that the first half of the album is decent enough, but it just never kicks into gear enough to become compelling.

Katatonia's first couple albums are special. Their shift to a more modern, mainstream sound is interesting to chart. They accomplished that change much more convincingly than some of their peers with similar early career trajectories. I love "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" but can't get into "Viva Emptiness." It feels like it really is trying very hard to copy mainstream bands (I get the mall goth comments for this era). "The Great Cold Distance" thru "Fall of Hearts" is outstanding, as mentioned. Overall the band has a solid discography but these last three are pretty much expendable.

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

Therefore I stand corrected. Let's just say that

a) "Satan" and "edgy" don't correlate in my mind (but I get why people see it that way);

b) I think the preceding lyrics justify the usage of this set of words;

c) "You're the flicker / On a dead screen / Present, yet unseen" actually draws my attention more than this.



That aside, I wholeheartedly agree with your point.

Album Rating: 2.5

This is by far the worst album, they put out. I kind of like Lilac, Temporal and Efter Solen. But not enough to put on a playlist. Maybe this will grow on me but two spins in, and I'm not digging this

Album Rating: 3.0

Efter Solen kind of rules because it's the only genuinely distinctive track

Otherwise this sort of bleeds together like an aimless wisp

Album Rating: 3.0

It's pretty in the moment but ngl I immediately forgot what anything in particular sounded like

Album Rating: 4.0

the final 3 tracks kinda save this from 3.5 territory for me

Album Rating: 2.5

Katatonia are one of my all-time favourite bands but this was such a nothing album. They've been on autopilot for the last 3 albums with the only change being that they're getting more and more boring, really should've stayed on hiatus after The Fall of Hearts.

Album Rating: 2.5

just rename the band The Jonas Renkse Project at this point

Album Rating: 3.5

Im curious to see what Anders does next