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WANT.

An absolutely dark meloncholy experience as only Katatonia can create. Khelek was correct to point out that this album is not one you listen to passively. It's wondrous in it's dark complexities and makes you want to sit down with earphones and disolve into the world of Katatonia.

Impressive, most impressive.

It's been a great year for doom and gloom. This album, Paradise Lost, and Novembers Doom. Could it get any better?

There's also the new Swallow the Sun!

Well, i'll have to disagree for the most part with the reviewer.

Katatonia is my favorite band, i've been a fan since LFDGD (which is my favorite) and haven't been disappointed with this band in years, until now.

The one thing about this cd that bugs me is that it drags. It drags A LOT...with the exception of Forsaker and maybe Day And Then the Shade, the entire album has this weird slow pace, way too dark and moody, which should be a good thing but it isn't. These guys had found such a perfect balance between complex musicianship and catchiness in their previous efforts, it saddens me to know they gave it up in favor of the slow paced songs.

Another thing: "This album is a different sort of animal, and after about 3-4 listens I still found myself familiar with only a handful of the songs.". Just like the reviewer said, this album is not memorable. You have to pound it into your skull several times to maybe remember a chorus, or a guitar riff. I don't know how that could be viewed as a bonus.

On the bright side, Daniel's drumming is as crisp as ever, and the moments of heaviness that do come up are amazing, but i can't help but feel disappointed with this album.

65/100

I have to give that one more attention. Thanks for reminding me about their new one.

I don't agree with you, this album is slower, more doomy, than usual and I don't mind at all. The sound textures and atmosphere they create are dark, dreamy and haunting and this makes for numerous memorable moments. Sure it's not as commercial or catchy as their previous outings but that doesn't make it any lesser good, it's simply different. They mix some of their old sound (Tonight's Decision, Discouraged ones, Brave Murder Day) with the newer sound and mesh it in a facinating opus. So obviously if your not a fan of their material previous to LFDGD you may not get into it as much as you would have expected.

You know an album that really drags alot? Brave Murder Day.

Indeed, i'm not much of a fan of their earlier material. With an exception of Discouraged Ones, i don't like their early stuff, specially DODS. To me, they really started to find their sound as a band after LFDGD.

However, i don't really hear much of the old stuff on the new album, to me it sounds more like a slow paced version of TGCD, without the hooks and memorable choruses.

Agreed.

I was wondering if someone else would be feeling the way I felt after listening to this album. I have been reading nothing but positive reviews about this album and I was looking forward to another masterpiece but I will have to agree with Jack of Knives on this one.

The truth is I have always preferred the slightly heavier songs compared to the more mellow ones but even so ever since the Discouraged Ones album I still enjoyed the nicely crafted atmospheric songs.

Upon the first few listens I thought as well that except for the standout tracks (I agree with the killing songs mentioned), the rest of the tracks drag so much sometimes that I felt like skipping the songs to find a more interesting and also upbeat song. And I am afraid I had to do so for several songs. The Departer however is an exception and even though quite slow has a really moody infectious atmosphere.

Moreover, I don't know, even though I love Jonas's voice, in some songs I get the feeling that he sings without any melody or even narrates sometimes which is probably because the structure of the songs and the limited use of guitar melodies.

Overall, sadly I thought this album what a bit of a disappointment as well especially after three long years since the previous album...

If you where a fan of doom you would enjoy this a lot more.
I don't feel like anything actually drags and Jonas' voice and singing is as good as it gets.

This album is better as whole than each song taken individually.
Experiencing the album as whole is what it's all about.

From what I read, Brave Murder Day was supposed to be the best thing they released.

It might be, it might not be; it hasn't exactly clicked with me yet. As of now, however, I find that everything Katatonia released after BMD is far more enjoyable.

I do like doom. But the characteristic of doom is the heavy, slow, opprssing guitar riffs which are missing in this album. I don't know, I've been trying to find out what is is I don't like about it, and this ss my conclusion so far. Perhaps I need to give it another few listens.
by the way, the new Swallow The Sun is very good but possibly not as good as hope even though more complex

Obviously I agree with grandbazaar on this. To me this album represents not a collection of individual songs, but more of a journey meant to be experienced as a whole. It has the effect of forcing me to remember the album, not necessarily individual songs, though there are at least 4 that are very memorable, at least to me. I think it's just a matter of different expectations from different people, as I expected would happen.

I find this band to be pretty damn stale. Is it just me?

Yes.