KATATONIA - City Burials [lp] (LP)

Formed in 1991 by Jonas Renkse & Anders Nystr m, and transitioning from early pioneers of the rising black/death/doom movement, to powerhouses of the progressive metallic rock genre, the Swedish connoisseurs of melancholy returned in 2020 with their stellar opus, City Burials - the band's eleventh studio album & first since 2016's haunting The Fall of Hearts.



With the winds of a new direction steering the band on their latest journey, City Burials stood as a triumph of deep & enigmatic progressive rock - the fruits of a rejuvenating and profound chapter in the band's legacy and a catalyst for its creators. Compiled into one of their most important modern works and statements to date, the finely-honed instrumentation provides a multi-textured backdrop with the voice of Jonas Renkse guiding us through these latest trials of loss and ruin.



The chemistry between Jonas, Anders and their band mates - bassist Niklas Sandin, drummer Daniel Moilanen and most recent recruit, guitarist Roger jersson - never sounded more potent, with City Burials being the first album Katatonia made since jersson became a full-time member.



Inspired by an injection of fresh blood into Katatonia's creative brew, City Burials helped Katatonia reclaim part of their heavy metal roots, via several moments of exuberant, old school classicism, deftly woven into these new songs' kaleidoscopic fabric, resulting in an album that propelled the band ever further into the spotlight.



City Burials was produced by Nystr m/Renkse and recorded at Soundtrade Studios, Tri-Lamb Studios & The City Of Glass, throughout October & November 2019, with engineering work handled by Karl Daniel Lid n. The album also featured a guest appearance by Anni Bernhard, the voice behind Stockholm based act Full of Keys. Artwork appeared courtesy of Lasse Hoile, the image itself representing the ongoing era of the Dead End King.



This edition of City Burials is presented on single black vinyl, featuring a new half-speed vinyl master for optimal sound quality.