| The day has come to dive into the most beautiful realms of melancholy, as Swedish grand seigneurs of gloom, KATATONIA, have finally unveiled their Napalm Records debut and new studio album, ‘Sky Void of Stars’. With ‘Sky Void of Stars’, KATATONIA has already enthralled critics and fans worldwide – resulting in extensive streaming and video views as well as various cover stories. On top, the album ranks at #1 on several soundchecks like German Rock Hard and Legacy Magazine. With a captivating, story-driven music video for hypnotizing “Opaline”, the entity around founding members Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström not only emphasizes the release but also teases their Twilight Burials EU & UK tour with Sólstafir and SOM – kicking off today in Tampere, Finland. The video shows impressions from the band’s latest US tour and prepares fans for a unique live experience to remember. “Opaline” embraces KATATONIA’s intense, genre-bending style, significantly shaping the scene while still staying true to their own musical values. Daniel Moilanen on “Opaline”:”’Opaline’. A bleak, yet thunderous anthem for our empty sky. A dim gaze upon a time deliberately fleeting like the migratory bird. A final single and a taste of the future?” |
| “Sweden’s dark prog masters keep living up to expectations” (Metal Hammer, UK) “Melancholy at its best! Already one of the best Doom albums of 2023!“ (EMP) “…an astonishing release” (Fireworks, UK) “Another heartfelt offensive by Katatonia” (Metal Hammer, DE) “…Katatonia is back with another refreshing otherworldly wonder” (MetalSucks, US) “ Sky Void of Stars is the embodiment of a band that no matter the change in presentation, is still the darkest and most varied in metal.” (Blabbermouth, US) “…no matter if it’s heavy or mellow, the band always delivers first-class musicianship and exquisite songwriting.” (Metal Injection, US) “…Katatonia hit with a highly energetic atmosphere, holding a gloomy ambiance with epic sounds and poetic lyrics to get lost in.” (Prog Report) |
| Founded in 1991, KATATONIA has continually embraced the dark and the light alike and – living through genre evolutions beyond compare – ripened their own particular form of expression. Carving their way from their nineties gothic-tinged doom metal to the ethereal post-metal entity they are today, the band is ready to showcase its brilliance and illuminate the void in the scene with ‘Sky Void of Stars’. KATATONIA on the new album, ‘Sky Void of Stars’: “Our 12th album, ‘Sky Void of Stars’, is a dynamic journey through vibrant darkness. Born out of a yearning for what was lost and not found, the very peripheries of the unreachable, but composed and condensed into human form and presented as sounds and words true to the KATATONIA signum. No stars here, just violent rain.” Order Your Copy of ‘Sky Void of Stars’ HERE– the first formats are already sold out |
| Emerging from the gloom, KATATONIA is a beacon of light – breathing their unique, never stagnant, atmospheric sound through this new offering, all written and composed by vocalist Jonas Renkse. The album opener “Austerity” provides a courting introduction to the album. Crashing through the dark, it convinces with memorable, mind-bending rhythms as it shifts with elaborate guitar riffs that perfectly showcase the musical expertise and experience of the band. Topped off by the dark, conjuring voice of Renkse and mesmerizing lyricism, the gloomy mood for the album is set. Songs like down-tempo “Opaline” and moody “Drab Moon” fully embrace their melancholic sound while fragile “Impermanence” is accented by the original doom metal roots of KATATONIA. Like a dark star, these pieces relume the dreariness, creating an ambient auditory experience with memorable hooks while still inducing the crashing sounds of hard guitar riffs and pounding drums. The experimental mastery of the quintet and their atmospheric approach is purely vivid, making this album a thrilling sensation. With “Birds”, the artists show off their explosive potential with a quick and energetic sound, proving their genre-defying style. Dazzling drums and heavy guitar riffs reflect the influence of their humble beginnings, while “Atrium” also plays into this highly energetic atmosphere, maintaining the gloomy ambiance that characterizes KATATONIA with epic sounds and poetic lyrics to get lost in. |
| ‘Sky Void of Stars’ Track Listing: 1 Austerity 2 Colossal Shade 3 Opaline 4 Birds 5 Drab Moon 6 Author 7 Impermanence (feat. Joel Ekelöf) 8 Sclera 9 Atrium 10 No Beacon To Illuminate Our Fall 11 Absconder (Mediabook Bonus Track) ‘Sky Void of Stars’ is now available in the following configurations: => Ltd. Deluxe Wooden Box (incl. Mediabook + Digipack Atmos Mix BluRay + Crow Pendant + Star Chart Artprint + Pin) – Napalm Records exclusive – SOLD OUT! => Die Hard Edition 2LP Gatefold Ink Spot / FOREST GREEN (incl. Slipmat, Patch, 12 pages poster) – Napalm Records exclusive – SOLD OUT! => 2LP Gatefold DARK GREEN – Napalm Records exclusive – SOLD OUT! => 2LP Gatefold MARBLED TRANSPARENT/DARK GREEN – OMerch exclusive => 2LP Gatefold MARBLED CRYSTAL CLEAR/BLACK – OMerch exclusive => 2LP Gatefold BLACK=> 1CD Ltd Mediabook (incl. Bonus Track) => 1CD Jewelcase=> Digital Album |
