Maybe it is totally unrelated or perhaps it isn’t but now as KATATONIA has parted ways with one of their founding members, Anders Nyström, the new studio album, “Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State,” released on June 6th, 2025, via Napalm Records, turns out one of the darkest chapters in the band’s musical saga. That is by no means a small feat, considering the band has never been a stranger to crafting heart-wrenching, melancholic narratives. Whether by leaving the profound sense of Gothic gloom hanging in the air like a frozen halo or by projecting our darkest desires against the backdrop of slow-crushing, melancholy prog, KATATONIA albums have had a habit of growing on me slowly over time. Apart perhaps from “The Great Cold Distance” (2006) and “Dead End Kings” (2012), their albums usually haven’t blown my mind immediately. However, after some time, I always find myself listening to the albums on repeat for days on end. The two singles released ahead of the new album – “Lilac” and “Temporal” – seem to follow this tradition down to a tee; at first, the songs did not impress me that much, but only after a few weeks, I cannot seem to get enough of them now. So, I guess this is a good omen for the album. I’m not sure how the band actually does it. Maybe through some dark magic? It is almost as if the songs become fixed in the mind on some subliminal level, even if you do not seem to be affected by the music; the songs lurk somewhere in the subconscious, ready to jump out at you the first chance they get, like a suppressed memory. It’s something nigh impossible to articulate but easy to appreciate – and the band has done it again.
The opener, “Thrice,” kicks off rather riff-heavy. Then again, it makes sense as the band features two new guitarists now – Nico Elgstrand of ENTOMBED fame and Sebastian Svalland, formerly hooked up with PAIN. The song sets the tone for the whole album, almost as though the band’s primus motor, Jonas Renkse, had intended to break in the new axe-slingers with extra emphasis on the guitar riffs this time. The familiar, atmospheric melancholy that has become the band’s trademark in the past 10 years is still prominently present, but it isn’t perhaps as front and center as on the last couple of albums. On occasion, “Thrice” and the follow-up track, “Liqud Eye,” almost harken back to the band’s 2009 album “Night Is the New Day,” albeit the latter does gear up on the atmospherics, especially in the verses, almost bordering on going full-on ambient.
Up to this point, the album has not really surprised the band’s old-time fans, but the single, “Wind of No Change,” probably will. I mean, the song comes off almost like an evil version of GHOST on sedatives, what with the choir in the background and lyrics flirting with Satan. You sure as hell have not heard anything like this on a KATATONIA album before. The verses unfold like any other atmospheric song from this bunch. For some reason, I got rather strong “Dead End Kings” vibes – but then the chorus makes a twisted U-turn with the choral part coming off almost like a tribute to THERION. First, I wasn’t sure what to make of the song. Is it some inside joke to hail Satan all of a sudden? The more I listen to the song, the more it starts to stick in my head, though. It’s that familiar KATATONIA effect in action, I reckon. The Old Nick has the best of tunes.
By now, the first single “Lilac” has become one of favorites by the band, pulling off a rather brilliant balancing act between atmospheric melancholy, banging riffs, and heart-wrenching melodies. While the song is not exactly a catchy beast, like that instant heart-churner “Lethean” on “Dead End Kings,” it resonates with the air of that 2012 album rather nicely. The same holds for the second single, “Temporal,” pretty much. When it came out a while ago, my first thoughts were something like “Meh,” but now I just frigging adore it for the very same reasons.
The latter half of the album kicks off on a tad more atmospheric footing. “Departure Trails” traverses the slow-burning, melancholy waters of “The Fall of Hearts” (2016). The song isn’t as memorable as the gems on that album, but I guess, over time, it might yet reveal the dark magic woven into its core. Positioned in the middle of the album, it serves as a breather of sorts, albeit I’m not sure that it is exactly called for – none of the songs are uptempo punch-ups that would necessitate such a thing. Depending on the day, I either like the song quite a lot or not at all. Anyhow, it makes the album flow seamlessly forward, so there’s that.
Next, “Warden” and “The Light Which I Bleed” pick up the pace, rolling out nice riffs with more punch. The main riff in the latter, especially in the song’s coda, where it is doubled with some (synth) strings, subtly recalls the symphonic sound of THERION, once again. That’s not something I get to say about KATATONIA very often. This would have worked as the album’s closer much better than “In the Event of,” which lacks the appropriate epic feel. The last two tracks are probably to blame for why so many have written the album off as a rather bland effort altogether. “Efter Solen” is an atmospheric ballad sung in Swedish, and the closer is a nice, atmospheric riffer that gets maybe a little too atmospheric at times, at least for a closer. Neither of the songs is necessarily lame, but I think they are sorely misplaced in the selection.
Considering the band’s recent lineup changes, “Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State” sounds unexpectedly unsurprising. I mean, if this album is to mark some kind of a new start for the band, it sounds rather samey. Then again, Jonas Renkse has been the band’s most prominent songwriter for some time already. So, the album keeps on pushing ever deeper into the atmospheric realm, but fortunately, with some newfound faith in the power of the almighty guitar riff. It has peaks and valleys, of course, but like so many KATATONIA albums of late, it bears all the hallmarks of a slow grower. The first two singles have already won me over in just a couple of months. Putting an album that is so remarkably comprised of “autumn music,” the release date on the brink of summer was a rather counter-intuitive choice, but I reckon, when the autumn eventually falls upon us, this album will show its true colors.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Thrice
- The Liquid Eye
- Wind of No Change
- Lilac
- Temporal
- Departure Trails
- Warden
- The Light Which I Bleed
- Efter Solen
- In the Event of
Lineup
Jonas Renkse – vocals
Niklas Sandin – bass
Daniel Moilanen – drums
Nico Elgstrand – guitars
Sebastian Svalland – guitars
Label
Napalm Records
