Katatonia - The Fall of Hearts (2016)

So, “The Fall of Hearts” is finally here. Since, the release of the two singles “Old Heart Falls” and “Serein”, I was anticipating this album so much. I’ve found one thing with Katatonia, from “Last Fair Deal Gone Down” they have never been deviated from their formula but this thing either makes the sound deja-vu or may be new-new. Here, I feel a new wave of Katatonia though there is no such uniqueness in this album but still Moilanen and Ojersson brought a good contribution. The key highlight that I have observed is about the guitar tone, the rhythms are not the chuggs nor much vicious but smooth and lead-esque. They never really focus much on the solos/leads but in this album the tone is marvelous. The little harmonies in the background are just toothsome, percussion and acoustic combinations are very fascinating, keyboard and effects work are also appreciable in this album and this is what giving each song a new atmosphere. All applause to Ojersson for the solos as well as to Nystrom for the rhythm part. As always, Renkse maintains a well-balanced vocal combination with all the vocal effects.

Tool, Porcupine Tree and Opeth influence truly have overshadowed in this album and the impact is prominent and reflects. Katatonia mean low spirits and yes, that’s true but to me, this album is the most “Progressive” among the Katatonia’s discography. This is not depressive rock at all. The lyrical themes are somewhat bleak and only “Decima” can be described as gloomy among other songs. The way this band had improvised their classics in “Sanctitude”, I expected there would be something big coming from them and now with this solid addition, it has been proved. 

The Most Horrible Way of Representing Beauty...

Uaral, the moment when I listened their sacred music I came to aware that life is more austere than death. The duo combined the real feelings, the real emotions and all the grief with their heart. This is soul touching music. In my opinion, unclassifiable. Uaral is love not lust. I seriously don't have words to describe the music. Something coming from the dark melancholy woods with swamps around the lake of tears and the mist around with a cold silence, nocturnal. The Chilean country-side and Uaral himself had inspired Aciago & Caudal so much that they inherited the mentor’s heritage in their veins and transformed in the form of their compositions.

"Sounds of Pain..." is the band's debut full-length. The lyrical theme mostly deals with sorrow, nature and experience of life with the use of classical Latin acoustic style guitar, flute and piano creates a mournful atmosphere. Much of the music in the album has a long passage of mixed instruments mainly acoustics and less vocals. The vocals are deep guttural growls creates a strong doom/death metal influence also Empyrium's Schwadorf style clean singing creates folk/atmospheric black metal environment. The songs also has laments, crying and all the bemoaning. I just lost in the chants, the whispering winds and the sound of rains. The sound varies with a non-linear song structure throughout the album.

This thing is a masterpiece. A perfect piece of depressive yet progressive music. Do read the interview of the duo on their un-official website. It sounds like souls are talking not humans. Bunch of thanks to the Iranian fans for making the website.

The epilogue is, listen this on a cold frosty night with full moon. You will be pleased. One of the best blend of doom/black/folk.

Visit: Uaral


Originally written for Death.fm

The best thing came after French Fries.....

The first interaction with Gojira was with "Love" and I was like WTF! Is this from the debut one? This thing is massive heavy. Progressive as well as technical death metal influence brought a brutal experimental package. The best thing is the non-linear composition of songs which is quite interesting, environmental friendly lyrical theme which is quite unusual yet impressive. The noticeable thing is the weird but heavy as fuck riffs but no solo at all so it is not the shredding enriched album (for those who thought some stuff similar to Necrophagist), technical drumming (Mario made his name big apart from being a painter), Bass is what many says the most under-dominant thing and has a usual effect parallel to support guitar and drums but here it is in the foreground. I hear less Joe's vocals and more chugg chugaga chugg! "Space Time". "Love" and "In the Forest" are the foreground images in this album. I feel an enormous nocturnal silence after listening these in headphones. "Lizard Skin" has gay style riffing but intro is good though. "Clone" is my favorite along with some other songs, simply a great opening track that overshadows the forthcoming tracks. "In the Forest" has a silence in between and after that a hidden track.

Overall, the album has an atmospheric thing rousing in between the compositions. Unique style, weird patterns and a blend of heavy alternate picking with pinch harmonics along with chugging like fuck along with kick-ass drumming and thick bass overcomes the cheesy growl/screamo. The beast thing comes after French Fries is Gojira.

9/10

Originally written for Death.fm