In Review: Katatonia – City Burials

Katanonia – City Burials

Label: Peaceville

Release Date: April 24th 2020

I am ashamed to admit the Katatonia are a band I’ve overlooked again & again, that is until now with the release of their eleventh studio album City Burials.

Opener “Heart Set To Divide” is a great showcase of things to come and also shows the band have come back much stronger after 2016’s unexpected Hiatus. Easily my favourite track of the album appears in the form of “Behind The Blood” this again is the point where I question why I have overlooked this band.

Downtrodden tracks “Lacquer” & “Rein” follow, “The Winter Of Our Passing” is slightly more up-tempo before sorrow swoops in once more with “Vanishers” which features guest vocals from Anni Bernhard, of Stockholm art-rockers Full Of Keys.

Both “City Glaciers” & “Flicker” are both in their own way stand out tracks for me, “Lachesis” is far too short as I would have loved to hear more but it blends really well into “Neon Epitaph”.

“Untrodden” is the final send off for now but there will be 2 bonus tracks “Closing of the Sky” & “Fighters” so when the album is released I will be re-listening to it again.

City Burials was produced by Nyström/Renkse and recorded at Soundtrade Studios, Tri-Lamb Studios & The City Of Glass, throughout October & November 2019, with engineering work handled by Karl Daniel Lidén. and mixing and mastering from Jacob Hansen.

This album is beautiful ,enormously vivid and powerful. 

4 out of 5 skulls.

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