The departure in May of founding Katatonia member Anders Nyström felt both inevitable and cryptically timed. It arrived shortly after the exit of the other remaining founding member Jonas Renkse’s from their death metal side project Bloodbath and on the eve of the release of the band’s 13th studio effort. With the recruitment of Nico Elgstrand and Sebastian Svalland into the ranks to replace the departing Nyström and Roger Ojersson, “Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State” simultaneously cemented Katatonia’s position as doom metal for those with PhDs and stuck a ruddy great red line between the modern incarnation of the band and their previous death doom leanings. Tonight’s setlist heightens that feeling of distancing themselves from the past. Their first six albums are completely overlooked, and instead, they circle their wagons around the perception that material from 2006’s “The Great Cold Distance” and 2009's “Night is the New Day” embodies their classic form. In many ways, they succeed in this act of reinvention, as this evening we are treated to a variant of Katatonia that is slick, thoughtful and the true definition of intellectual brooding.

Interestingly, the undercard on offer is a direct replication of Evergrey’s previous appearance in the city. Having been their special guest at that Rebellion visit twelve months back, Klogr are now pulling opening act duties. Their sound has always wandered around the musical lexicon; this evening’s opening salvo of ‘Face the Unknown’ has a distinctly industrial feel and is reminiscent of Peter Tägtgren’s Pain. As we proceed through the set, there are traces of grunge, alt-rock and even the latter-day prog to be found. Klogr pride themselves on their depth and variety, and that multitude of different musical touchstones is on full display this evening. What is also explicitly evident is the commanding presence of Gabriele Rustichelli. As ever he is sporting his dependable Matrix escapee look, black trench coat co-and dark glasses. He looms over the audience with a mixture of macabre malevolence and playful supremacy. A dependable and dominant set that defiantly sets the bar high.

Evergrey are continually and unfairly lumped in with the power metal fraternity. This does them an enormous amount of disservice as their sound is much more allied with the melodic end of progressive metal. There is a sweeping grandeur to their material. It is soaring and verbose, full of towering guitar solos and sumptuous keys. It lacks the OTT flamboyance of power metal and instead concentrates on a harmonious authenticity fuelled by beautiful, heart-wrenching songwriting coupled with astonishingly virtuoso musicianship. With Henrik Danhage on a seemingly permanent hiatus, Evergrey is now very much led by Tom Englund's musical vision. The one new song on offer this evening, closing number ‘OXYGEN!’, points at a further evolution and elevation of their sound. It is an ambitious and high textured track, rich in pathos and emotional resonance.

With only 40 minutes to play with, Tom is uncharacteristically reserved. His onstage pronouncements are restricted to pointing out that Henricks replacement Stephen Platt is a native of this very city and there is obvious joy in Steve’s facial expressions as he picks out familiar faces in the crowd. Like Katatonia they decide set wise to stay firmly within the now. There is nothing on offer beyond 2014’s “Hymns for the Broken” however this doesn't diminish the emotional heft of the occasion or the reverence of the crowd.

In direct contradiction to a rather sparse showing at last year's headline show, tonight it feels like everyone in the now heaving Academy 2 is a fully paid-up Evergrey devotee. Every song aired this evening is greeted with euphoric veneration and there is no sign of any disappointment that Jonas Renkse’s appearance on ‘Cold Dreams’ is reduced to video footage, even though he is lurking in a dressroom mere meters away. Evergrey are perpetually underappreciated and undervalued. This evening they are as wonderful as ever, in fact, if it is possible, they feel crisper and more emotionally heightened than last year’s performance. An absolute masterclass that gets the mouthwatering for next year’s new album.

Katatonia produce complex, passionate, downbeat music. It might be classed as melancholy, even maudlin, but there is great beauty to be found in the gloom-laden depths of the material. Every song this evening speaks to the heart, a broken and betrayed heart, but still the heart. For just over a hundred minutes, they create astonishingly versatile and elaborately textured waves of music that wash over the audience. Yes, there is a personification of sadness but actually, there is so much more to what they are doing. It is highly intelligent and emotionally astute; it goes beyond mere loss or longing and buries itself deep into the psyche. It operates at a level far beyond the definitions of doom, Gothic or progressive. For the last decade of so Katatonia have forged a singular furrow by sounding like Katatonia, a uniquely ornate and intricate marriage of sound that brings real emotion to intricate musical density.

Tonight’s show is astonishingly slick and vividly rehearsed. Even though the Academy 2’s stage is not the largest available, they make good use of its dimensions with split levels and video screens. The lighting effects are ambitious for a venue of this size, and members of the band are regularly silhouetted in shadow against the vibrant lcd displays. It gives the whole thing an atmospheric and ethereal edge. Each and every track feels like its own individual performance, with striking visuals and poignant posturing. In many ways this isn't just a gig, is an emotional experience made flesh and the connected audience become lost in the whole theatre of it all. Despite the internal merry-go-rounds, Katatonia circa 2025 give the impression of being a tight, unified entity. There is plenty of on-stage interaction, both grave and narrative building but also improvised and cheeky. Jonas regularly sings at his band mates, espousing to him his inner turmoil’s manifested into song. He also playfully banters with them, sharing in-jokes and pretending to be trapped by their instruments. Whilst musically the songs are full of a sorrowful tension, interband relations seem to be the best they have been for years.

Jonas voice is also on top form, he exhibits a new slimmed down figure, and his larynx are wonderfully on par. ‘Austerity’ and ‘Rein’ both see him exhibit astonishingly limber vocal gymnastics. He moves from whisper to a sturdy yelp, creating an astoundingly vivid aesthetic. He is one of metal’s most unrated singers, able to carve out gothic majesty by merely opening his mouth. There is also a heaviness at play that Katatonia are not usually given credit for. This is not in your face brutal heaviness, it is more subdued and subliminal, but it is there. It rumbles in the background through ‘Wind of No Change’, ‘July' and ‘Lethean’, like distant thunder just waiting for its moment to let itself be known. It is that balance between epic and reserved that is so pronounced this evening. They sound simultaneously anthemic and insular and reserved.

The audience reaction becomes more manic as the night proceeds, sporadic pits break out and towards the end a young gentleman sits on his companion's shoulders singing the words back at the band. The main set concludes the same way as new album does, with the stormy might of ‘In the event of’. It builds and builds like a tempestuous maelstrom, gaining a swirling velocity as the music surges forward. An encore isn’t on the books according to the printed setlists, but it is still bayed for and in the end given. ‘Forsaker’ provides a fitting finale. Another beautiful balancing act of melodic intent and refined gothic etherealness. The room is awash with couples going gooey in each other's arms, and it is remarkable how music so dark and arid can also be so sensual and alluring. An astonishing performance that once again proves that there is no band quite as immersive as Katatonia.

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Katatonia + Evergrey + Klogr

Live Review : Katatonia + Evergrey + Klogr @ Academy 2, Manchester on December 7th 2025