One look at the title of Katatonia’s 13th album should be enough to tell you that this is not a bouncy pop record. But then, those who have followed Katatonia over their 30+ year journey will know that the masters of melancholic Metal are not about to start doing joyful songs just yet.
Katatonia – Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State
Release Date: 6 June 2025
Words: Paul Hutchings
Two years since their last album, the sonically soaring Sky Void Of Stars, the band return, albeit with some changes in the camp. Most notably, the departure of founder member Anders Nyström, along with fellow guitarist Roger Öjersson.
Although the news that Nyström had left due to “creative differences” sent shock waves through the Metal world, sole founder member and singer Jonas Renske forges ahead with another release that is as emotive and immersive as anything that has gone before it.
With touring guitarists Sebastian Svalland and Nico Elgstrand joining drummer Daniel Moilanen and bassist Niklas Sandin, the band move forward with their unique blend of Doom Metal that merges with Post-Metal ideals that haunts and chills.
Renkse’s vocals remain top drawer, seemingly timeless in delivery, and provide the focus of the album. But to focus just on Renkse would be harsh, for the Katatonia sound is complex and intricate.
The tension they can build on opener Thrice is impressive, smouldering synths balance with restrained guitar riffs that slowly build in a majestic crescendo that finally arrives in dramatic fashion.
The ability to build atmospheric pieces that draw the listener in deep has always been in the Katatonia locker, and on Nightmares, they do this once more. Winds Of No Change bristles with malevolent intent, almost ceremonial in creation and another whose seismic interplay is topped by Renske’s gloom-filled vocals.
Like much of their discography, Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State is not an album that instantly grabs you. Time needs to be devoted to appreciating the subtle nuances that run deep within the songs here.
You may already be familiar with the early releases Lilac and Temporal, the former aided by a hammering riff that departs as quickly as it appears only to return to support one of many glorious solos.
Temporal is as staple a Katatonia track as you can get, yet it is still delightful in its haunting melancholy, which eases into the evocative Departure Trails. Dive deep into the majestic The Light Which I Bleed, and you will find everything you want from this mighty Swedish export.
Katatonia close the album with two incredible pieces. Efter Solen (After the Sun in English) is sung in Swedish but stoves deep into the psyche regardless. Renkse’s duet with piano provides a minimalist approach, which is hypnotic. This leads to the rousing finale, In The Event Of, which sees the album conclude perfectly.
Ten tracks which envelope and consume, spread across 45 minutes, Nightmares appears effortless. Yet the complexity that you reach when scraping below the surface confirms that this is another intensely crafted and choreographed piece of work.
Combining fragile, ethereal passages with sonically crushing parts, Katatonia remain masters of their dark arts.
Yes, they have morphed significantly from those early days seen on debut Dance Of December Souls way back in 1993, but there are still tendrils that hold the connection tightly in place.
With a crisp, clear production aiding their sound as always, Katatonia’s 13th album is as elegant and captivating as those that have gone before.
Changes may have taken place, but the band show no sign of cracking. If you enjoy sadness bathed in darkness but with slivers of light to provide hope, then this really is an album you will want to spend time with.
Katatonia release Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State on 6 June 2025 via Napalm Records. Pre-orders are available from here.
As soon as summer has shattered, Katatonia will embark on an epic headline tour this fall across Europe and the UK together with label mates and Gothenburg’s top-notch Metal export Evergrey and Klogr from Italy.
Kicking off on 11 November in Tampere, Finland, the tour will cover 31 major cities in total and culminate in a grand finale in Stockholm, Sweden on 20 December. Tickets are available now
