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

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.

Read More
Live Review : Katatonia + Sólstafir + Som @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on February 11th 2023

I need to be honest and say that this is one of those reviews where objectivity goes out the window. You see, for me, Sólstafir and Katatonia represent the finer points of modern metal. I adore, with a heartfelt passion, both acts, and, in my eyes, they illustrate how metal is evolving as an art form.Sólstafir’s bleak metallised sonic landscapes speak to my lifelong love for Springsteen, whilst Katatonia have taken remorseless doom and made it utterly beautiful. This long-delayed but much-anticipated tour brings them both together in what can only be a win-win scenario for those who like their metal based on emotion and pathos. The Ritz is not heaving, but there is a good-sized crowd in and the number of couples that I see in his and hers matching Sólstafir and Katatonia T-shirts shows that there is a massive cross-section in their two fan bases.

Read More