It’s no secret I have come to love Katatonia over the years, ever since I heard Dead End Kings back in my college days. From that point onwards, I knew the band could do no wrong and I would weather through their sonic experimentation, welcoming each new album as a stepping stone to their continued evolution. Now, the band returns with Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State, an album that looks to the past for future direction.

Nightmares as Extensions… picks up where Sky Void of Stars left off, with an inherent romanticism, even when the music and lyrics suggest otherwise. However, that romanticism hides darker intentions, as if Katatonia have something hidden up their sleeve. First track “Thrice” starts off strong with a clean guitar and vocal line that eases the listener in before the percussion hits, instilling a heightened sense of heaviness. While the song references Sky Void of Stars, especially in its melody, it slowly moves away from those themes around the halfway mark as it becomes atmospheric and sinister before returning to the chorus. “The Liquid Eye” has a death-doom influence that takes the time to really showcase their continued heaviness in a solid unit of both instrumentation and vocalization. The melody is clean, the music catchy, and it comes in swinging the moment “Thrice” ends. Katatonia is not a band I would describe as relentless in their musical execution, but they are clearly showing teeth here. Their use of weight and dynamics allows for experimentation, and the mixing of sonic texture shows they are thinking about their future and how much further they can take their version of progressive doom.

If you want to look at the potential future of Katatonia, “Wind of No Change” showcases something I haven’t heard them use in recent memory: a choir. It compliments both the band’s instrumentation and the atmosphere of the song, adding to the sinister feeling the album has been building toward and even referencing Katatonia’s past as a black metal band. Hearing Jonas sing “And sing Hail Satan” with a choir behind him adds to the layers Nightmares as Extensions… has built upon itself, and it’s cathartic to hear. After all, Katatonia is a legacy band who has been around for more than 30 years, and they are more than keen to embrace their history and incarnations.

A quick note before moving to the rest of the album: Nightmares as Extensions… is extremely self-referential. While one would expect them to continue where Sky Void of Stars left off, I think that this is the true sequel to The Fall of Hearts. They both came from the atmospheric/ambient blueprint Dead End Kings established, but Nightmares as Extensions… falls more within the realm of The Fall of Hearts’s thematic line, especially with songs like “Temporal,” which sounds a lot like “Takeover.” Both albums also have a quiet, reflective quality to them, as they were made when times were difficult for the band. Although they have clearly moved onward, history does have a funny way of repeating itself.

As the album progresses, the music takes a more austere approach, with sixth track “Departure Trails” having a muted presence after the big choruses and melodies heard on the first half of the album. The song is a pause, acting as a breather amidst the intensity. It has more restraint: there is little change in dynamics, and it adds to the atmospheric leanings the band has been building throughout. This restraint carries into “Warden,” and, to a lesser extent, “The Light Which I Bleed.” They still play with contrasting tones and sounds, but lack those big choruses and melodies that were so prominent before. That austerity finally eases on “Efter Solen,” a track sung entirely in Swedish, and possibly the surprise the band has been building to since “Thrice.” This track is probably the closest when it comes to City Burials in terms of how different it is from the rest as it uses a more of an electronic/dance approach to its melody. It also sounds like it came from Jonas Renkse’s side project Korda, rearranged and repurposed for this album. While a welcome addition to Katatonia’s tendencies to both play against and evolve their sound, it might be seen as strange and perhaps could have been the closer as it breaks the momentum that “The Light Which I Bleed” was playing with. Personally, I like “Efter Solen” – it’s a beautiful song that comes closest to telling us where their collective heads are – but I can see it being the odd song out.

However, Nightmares as Extensions… has a minor flaw: it’s incredibly top-heavy. The first half consists of memorable choruses, melodies, and enjoyable dynamics that make the album a delight. Which makes the latter half seem muted in comparison. However, this might be intentional, as the music in the first half is what remains familiar, especially if you were incredibly invested in what Sky Void of Stars did, before deciding to switch things up. It’s on that remaining half where Katatonia shows us their penchant for experimentation, their ability to change and adapt, and shows that, at the end of the day, metal doesn’t have to be heavy to get its point across. Katatonia isn’t looking to reinvent the wheel, but if the music resonates, that’s all that matters.

All in all, Nightmares as Extensions… is a reflective album, a breather in the momentum the band has built since the release of the art-rock-rooted City Burials. It makes one reflect not only what the future holds, but also on what past decisions have led you to do. Despite the recent turn of events, Katatonia’s future looks bright, their members a unit, completely tethered in the knowledge that they are still making music that moves people. The music may not have the heaviness others are looking for, but, for me, Nightmares as Extensions… is a celebration of how far the band has come, knowing full well the world is their oyster.

— Hera

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Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State will be available June 6 on Napalm Records. For more information on Katatonia, visit their official Facebook and Instagram.