Leaders

Wealth

Soil’s Song

Had To (Leave)

Cold Ways

Right Into The Bliss

Ghost Of The Sun

Criminals

Deliberation

July

Evidence

Jonas Renkse       - Vocals

Anders Nystrom   - Guitar & Back Vocals

Fredrik Norrman   - Guitar

Mattias Norrman - Bass

Daniel Liljekvist     - Drums

Distributed in Switzerland by Irascible Distribution

review  by Matthew "Newbreed99" Haumschild___   

Riffs are more mesmerizing 

than older Lacuna Coil

            I was actually surprised at the lack of advertising for this dvd/cd. If I hadn’t gone to Katatonia’s main website, I wouldn’t have known it was coming out. But it’s a good thing I had because this is one of the best live albums I’ve ever bought. However there is a definite difference between the CD and the DVD. The main difference is the audio, for some reason, sounds different. The DVD was mixed for 5.1 Dolby digital surround sound, so I thought that there were would be excellent separation in their mix. If the reader is not familiar with 5.1, let me explain what I am talking about. In a 5.1 set up, the listener has 6 speakers: Two front speakers, one center speaker, two surround speakers one usually located directly at 0 degrees and one located 180 degrees, and a subwoofer. In a 5.1 mix, it is possible to have the guitars…just the guitars in the surround speakers, the vocals in the center speaker, half the drums in the front speakers and the subwoofer and the bass in the front right speaker, if the producer/engineer so desires, the combinations are endless. For the mixing of the DVD there was separation, actually, much more separation on this live DVD as opposed to their 5.1 DVD-A version of “The Great Cold Distance.” The problem I have with the Live DVD is the way the guitars sound. They sound as if there’s way too much volume in the upper midrange when I crank it up in my theater. The example I am referring to is when I play, “Soil’s Song.” The vocals sound mint and the drums…the 5.1 mix on the drums, in it self, is worth listening to! But the guitars…sound below average.

            As for the songs themselves, to mention “Soil’s Song,” I would like to say that, that track sounds better live than it does on the original album. On both the CD and the DVD the vocals sound so superb, Renkse sings the words with more emotion, blended with deeper and more frequent reverb and delay just adds so much more dimension to the song that is still sends shivers down my spine! The rest of the band was dead on in terms of rhythm and beat, there was lacking indication of deviation of the band’s original intent on that song. In other words it sounded just like the CD, only better.

            Most of the other songs on the DVD/CD I hadn’t heard before, if I had, it was only one other time. Songs like, “Cold Ways,” Had To (Leave),” and “Criminals” made me want to buy their whole back catalogue. With those songs, it made me even more convinced on how great of a band Katatonia actually is. Before, I just thought that Katatonia just put out the one really great album and just had a so-so career before that with just so-so music. After hearing those songs, I am now convinced that Katatonia is one of the best, if not the best gothic band in the world. The words hold more meaning than anything Type O Negative ever had to convey, the riffs are more mesmerizing than older Lacuna Coil, and the arrangement makes more sense than anything Opeth had ever released.

            The songs Katatonia makes are in regarding breakups of not just romantic relationships but of platonic friendships, which is something that bands rarely touch on and I think that is what sets this band apart from all the other bands out that that just whine about how much it hurts when someone breaks up with them, Katatonia goes deeper with these, “new to me” tracks. Of course, long time Katatonia fans have known this all along.

            The crowd at Summerbreeze Open Air in Germany erupted when the band went into, “Ghost Of The Sun.” I felt this song visually looked great amongst the rest of the songs; perhaps it was the crowd participation? The backing vocals in this song sounded especially great and added an aggressive depth that I hadn’t heard much in the other songs.

            “July” was a track I hadn’t listened to very much on their album, but listening to it live, I now know why they called it July. Because when it’s hot, sunny, not everything is hunky-dory. It’s a song one has to experience to feel its impact. It’s about being left in a violent-depressive state and the song projects the heat of the summer in this track although it doesn’t explicitly state that. That is just the feeling I get from it, and it’s a live track to boot!

            This is a must for all Katatonia fans, matter of fact, it’s a must for everyone who has an hear or a soft spot for gothic metal or any type of metal where words hold more meaning than the actual riffs themselves. The live experience is a bonus because one could feel what Jonas Renkse was portraying on stage along with the vibrant imagery of the guitars and drums.

            What the hell are you waiting for!? Go fucking get this!

rating: 9,5/10  

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