What The Hell Got Into Katatonia?

Damn! That's more like it! I first picked up Katatonia after hearing "Deadhouse" from Discouraged Ones, probably on a Century Media sampler. I liked it, the album..."I Break", "Saw You Drown". "Deadhouse", obviously. Good stuff. Not overwhelmingly awesome or anything.

Never touched them again, I don't think. I'm wondering now if I checked out Tonight's Decision, I don't recall. If I did I wasn't impressed enough to buy it. Somewhere along the way they put out another 4 albums before the newest Night Is The New Day.

I don't recall where I stumbled across a reference to it, some metal blog, where it was called a 'must own'. Really, I thought? Those guys are still around? I mean, "Discouraged" was good, ok, but 'must own'? Well, I decided to give them another try. Wow! I mean, WOW! What the hell got into them? I guess they weren't just diddling around for the past decade - now I need to check out those other albums to see what's what.

"Night" impressed me from the opening notes to the end. They've taken where they were at "Discouraged", more of a Finnish depressive near-jam-band meandering style, and forged a decent identity for themselves. I hesitate to say that, because one thing more than anything else jumped out at me when I first listened to it - This sounds just like Opeth with only clean vocals. So, yeah, I'd like to say they're original, but they're kinda doing what fellow Swedes Opeth have done, but with no cookie monsterism. Still and all, they sound fresh and there is enough of a thread of their own style and songwriting in there to keep them true to their own sound. Hell, call it Opeth with clean vocals and a Finnish songwriting sensibility if you want. Not quite Sentenced, but not far from it. There's still an almost jam band feel to some of it also, very atmospheric, which Opeth does at times, but not to this near Pink Floyd level where you just want to pop on headphones, lie on the couch, and zone out.

Honestly I could go for a bit more of the heavier touches that they use somewhat sparingly on "Night", but they are what they are. Now I want to know if their other stuff is anywhere near this good. So, if any of the descriptions I've tried to provide stir anything inside of you, give this album a chance.