The Fall of Hearts
This Swedish metal band’s new lineup brings patiently undulating and majestically stormy riffs.
2016 ALBUM FROM SWEDEN’S KATATONIA - ‘THE FALL OF HEARTS’ Katatonia, the Swedish purveyors of dark progressive rock/metal, released their 10th studio album, The Fall of Hearts in May 2016, through their long-time home of Peaceville Records. The official follow-up to 2012’s acclaimed Dead End Kings was recorded at Stockholm’s Studio Gröndahl & Tri-lamb Studio, and was self-produced by Anders Nyström & Jonas Renkse. Mixing and mastering duties were carried out by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Ishahn, Devin Townsend) at Fascination Street Studios, with Karl Daniel Lidén (Switchblade, The Ocean, Greenleaf) brought in as engineer. Katatonia have spent the past four years since the release of Dead End Kings touring the world, as well as expanding their fanbase through two special albums on Kscope, the sister label of Peaceville. 2013 saw the release of Dethroned and Uncrowned which exploded the core of the songs on Dead End Kings creating new moods and textures. In 2015, they released the live acoustic album and concert film, Sanctitude. Both releases illustrate the band’s journey toward this, their current more progressive sound. The Fall of Hearts is the first record to feature new drummer Daniel ’Mojjo’ Moilanen and with the addition of their recently recruited guitarist Roger Öjersson (Tiamat), who came in just in time to sprinkle some blistering solos on the album, Katatonia will continue to push their musical boundaries beyond their roots in the metal scene while drawing in new fans from across the musical spectrum and put them on par with peers such as Opeth and Anathema, cementing Katatonia’s place as one of the most revered and cherished of all bands in the world of modern heavy music. The dramatic yet desolate artwork was created by long time designer and illustrator Travis Smith. Praise for Dead End Kings: ‘Diehard fans will recognise Dead End Kings as the latest in a series of beautifully conceived and subtly inventive exercises in atmospheric heaviness. But there is a sharpness to the songwriting in evidence on the Swedes' ninth full-length recording that promises a bridging of the gap between metal and modern prog.’ – 4/5 - The Guardian "This is further proof that Katatonia have the cojones and the class to plunge ever deeper into the heart of musical melancholy, dragging those of us who appreciate the restorative value of joy and sorrow along with them." – 9/10 - Metal Hammer
Discover The Fall of Hearts by Katatonia released in 2016. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.
Of their own respective accord but coming to the same relative meeting point, OPETH and KATATONIA have inadvertently founded their own subgenre of dark prog. The common bond between the groups (aside from Mikael Åkerfeldt and Jonas Renkse going full-time clean singing) is a sophisticated hub where g...
A review of The Fall of Hearts by Katatonia, available worldwide on 20th May via Peaceville Records
Katatonia - The Fall of Hearts review: A more ambitious vision and clearly renewed purpose sees Katatonia at their finest in years.