Katatonia : Nightmares As Extensions of the Waking State
Sweden’s Katatonia spent the early 1990s honing their aggressive death-doom sound. Yet with 1998’s Discouraged Ones, the group underwent lineup changes that coincided with a shift into a new musical direction. While maintaining a doom sentimentality, Katatonia had moved away from death metal for a more melodic, progressive style.
Nearly 35 years into their career, Katatonia have built up a rich discography overflowing with vibrant riffs and melancholic atmosphere. And while their 13th studio album, Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State, does little to break away from what they’ve done before, Katatonia still offer a riveting work.
Prior to the making of Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State, Anders Nyström, one of Katatonia’s co-founders, announced that he was exiting the band, leaving vocalist/guitarist Jonas Renkse as the only original member left. Coinciding Nyström’s departure, Katatonia welcomed two new guitarists: Nico Elgstrand and Sebastian Svalland. With a combination of old and new blood among their ranks, Katatonia’s musicality remains tight as ever. While they’re as committed as ever to their overall tone of melodic gloom, one of Katatonia’s biggest strengths is their ability to deliver that atmosphere through a versatile range of sounds. In a standout like “Thrice,” the guitars and drums contribute to an atmospheric presence that feels as if it’s shifting throughout. “The Liquid Eye” expands on this melodic approach by kicking up the sonic intensity, as the band employs more vibrant, speedier riffs. Yet by comparison, tracks like “Departure Trails” highlight the band’s talent for a slower, moodier approach.
Renkse’s enchanting voice and poetic tongue further elevate the emotive arrangements throughout the album. His lyrics come packed with hauntingly melancholic imagery that has the means to captivate and pull at the heartstrings: “Moving splinters through the mind / Hope smashed to smithereens / Baby I’m astray within the colors of your night / Went away to come back again.” However, for all the band’s technical proficiency, they aren’t doing much here that they haven’t already covered in some form already. Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State follows a relatively similar flow as other recent albums such as 2023’s Sky Void of Stars.
While Katatonia have undergone a great deal of change since they first formed in the early ’90s, they remain a compelling force of melodic gloom. Although Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State doesn’t break new ground for the band, it’s still a solid entry in a great library of metal.
Label: Napalm
Year: 2025
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