In retrospect, the turn of the millennium (give or take a few years) seems like some sort of golden age when it comes to metal-tinted atmospheric gloom. PARADISE LOST released one of their most haunting albums, “One Second,” in 1997, MY DYING BRIDE released “The Light at the End of the World,” an album which marked a return to the form in 1999, and KATATONIA, as though mirroring this omnipresent creative impetus, released perhaps their hitherto best body of work, their sixth studio album entitled “Viva Emptiness,” on April 29th, 2003, via Peaceville Records. It was a record-breaking album in many respects: it marked the first time KATATONIA chose to self-produce their record – a decision which probably contributed to their mixed feelings about the endeavor later, as they dubbed the experience ”a little bit difficult,” and it also marked the first time they had the same lineup on two consecutive albums, which undoubtedly factored quite a good deal in the fact that the album still ranks as one of their most cohesive, heart-wrenching, and brilliant endeavors. Stylistically, “Viva Emptiness” marked a slight departure from the sound of 2001’s “Last Fair Deal Gone Down,” in that, while continuing the somewhat 1990s-tinted alternative metal sound, bordering on the atmospheric side of things with keyboards having a more central role, it was still generally heavier, grittier, and darker. The band’s overall performance is more refined on this 2003 effort, heralding the even more refined and deeper sonic explorations on “The Great Cold Distance,” to be released in 2006, which would mark the beginning of a new era of experimentation for the band, in a way.
While the absolute, beautifully melancholic highlight of the album, “Omerta,” does not roll out until after eleven tracks, it needs to be acknowledged that the album opens with nothing short of a killer trio of tracks: “Ghost of the Sun,” “Sleeper,” and “Criminals” have each become revered fan favorites over the years; it’s hard to imagine a better way to embark on a journey through the labyrinth of dark Gothic atmospheres conjured by some class-A heavy-metal riffs, haunting keyboard textures, and vocalist Jonas Renkse‘s heart-wrenching pop melodies. In contrast to some of their earlier albums, there are no growled vocals whatsoever on this album. The sense of hypnotic and melancholic calm conveyed by the clean vocals makes up for the ostensible lack of raw power that we have come to expect from this bunch by now. This album is essentially about the contrast between dark and light, like virtually every KATATONIA album released so far. Yet, the impeccable aura of gloom is somewhat less polished on “Viva Emptiness” as opposed to the band’s later endeavors. There’s something about the album that resonates with the thick air of the 1990s, something similar to those aforementioned metal classics from the same era – and for such an insufferable nostalgic like me, it does come off as a rather pleasant quality.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, “Viva Emptiness” was re-released in 2013 as a remastered jubilee edition with some re-recorded parts and added keyboards. Call me a purist or just another grumpy old git but, so far, I haven’t had the heart to listen to this re-issue, so I cannot really say if it’s any good. For example, the atmospheric instrumental track that closes the album, “Inside the City of Glass,” was splashed with some additional vocals for the re-issue – and I have become so accustomed to listening to the instrumental original that I’m not really sure I want to check out the vocal version just yet. Then again, I’m almost sure the completionist in me will one day urge me to get the re-issue as well – and who knows, maybe I’ll like the new version just as much. For the time being, I’m pretty happy with the original edition.
In the band’s haunting back catalog, “Viva Emptiness” may not seem surrounded by such an aura of dark magic as, say, “The Great Cold Distance,” which did mark a whole new chapter in KATATONIA‘s melancholy lore just 3 years later; nonetheless, meandering in the streams of Lethe and Styx in the band’s signature style, the album with its darkly shaded leitmotivs embraces the primordial darkness in nothing short of an impressive manner, serving as a fine snapshot of their journey, a frozen timeframe from 20 years ago. “Viva Emptiness” was a milestone release in the band’s never-ending pursuit of excellence, an album that has not lost an ounce of its dark, sophisticated luster over the years.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Ghost of the Sun
- Sleeper
- Criminals
- A Premonition
- Will I Arrive
- Burn the Remembrance
- Wealth
- One Year From Now
- Walking By A Wire
- Complicity
- Evidence
- Omerta
- Inside the City of Glass
Lineup
Jonas Renkse – vocals, programming
Anders Nyström – guitars, keyboards, programming
Fredrik Norrman – guitars
Mattias Norrman – bass, slide guitar on ”One Year From Now”
Daniel Liljekvist – drums, percussion, backing vocals on ”Ghost of the Sun”
Label
Peaceville Records
