Album review: Katatonia – Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State

As far back as their third record, 1998’s Discouraged Ones, gloom-infused Swedes Katatonia were refusing to be limited by their death-doom origins. In the decades since, they’ve preferred to carve out a niche situated closer to modern prog rock than metal. With alumni of Entombed and PAIN welcomed as new guitarists following the departure of co-founder Anders Nyström, you might reasonably expect the dial to swing back towards the heavy on this 13th album. And perhaps it does – but by a scant few degrees.

Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State starts with four seconds of power chords and distortion before giving way to the delicate, considered sound that Katatonia have made their own. As it develops, opening track Thrice packs plenty of drama into its progressions, as does its immediate successor The Liquid Eye. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Departure Trails and Warden are reflective pieces, soothing in their thoughtfulness. These suit band leader Jonas Renkse’s understated vocals more than his ‘Hail Satan’s on the brooding Wind Of No Change.

That Katatonia are a classy proposition won’t surprise long-term observers; warmly accessible singles Lilac and Temporal will spread that opinion to newcomers, the latter’s instant classic guitar solo one of the album’s highlights. Another is closer In The Event Of, a mournful retelling of an actual bad dream that might be the most adventurous tune here, including a trance-adjacent synth riff amongst its many ingredients.

Some of this set’s more passive moments might verge on the soporific, but with these Nightmares… there’s also plenty to wake up the snoozy – and if you stay up for repeated listens, expect to become increasingly enthralled into the small hours.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Anathema

Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State is released on June 6 via Napalm