Katatonia
Swedish band that evolved from death metal to progressive rock.
Katatonia began in Stockholm in 1991 as a studio project for Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström, who wanted an outlet for their death metal interests. The two had worked together since 1987, leaning toward black/doom metal aesthetics similar to Celtic Frost, but they properly started making music with the demo *Jhva Elohim Meth... The Revival*, released in 1991. A small label, Vic Records, re-released it as an EP in 1993, giving the duo more exposure. From there, the band moved away from black metal traits toward a gothic sound, influenced by the rise of death metal in Europe. Growing popularity led them to recruit a bassist for live shows, making them a trio for their debut full-length, *Dance of December Souls* (1993). After touring, they released the EP *For Funerals to Come...* (1995), but the bassist left soon after. Trouble finding a replacement caused a brief hiatus, during which Renkse started the band October Tide with guitarist Fredrik Norrman. Renkse then revived Katatonia with Norrman as the new third member.
In 1996, the regrouped band recorded *Brave Murder Day*. Fredrik Norrman played guitar, and Renkse’s friend Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth handled screamed vocals because Renkse could no longer do them due to medical issues. The album and the EP *Sounds of Decay* (1997) were the last to fully showcase their black, death, and doom metal traits. The band then began focusing on clean vocals and faster tempos. To tour, they recruited bassist Mikael Oretoft and played their first European tour with In the Woods...
Renkse had experimented with clean, melodic vocals as early as the 1994 track "Scarlet Heavens" (released in limited capacity on a 1996 split), but the band wasn’t ready to pursue that sound until after 1997. Wanting more emotive, evolving music, they released the EP *Saw You Drown* (1997), which included the first wide release of "Scarlet Heavens." In 1998, they put out *Discouraged Ones*, their first full album in this style. They then signed a multi-album deal with Peaceville, their first with a bigger label. Renkse stopped drumming to focus on developing his clean vocals. The band released *Tonight’s Decision* in 1999 after a difficult seven-month writing process; Dan Swanö played session drums. The album had no screamed vocals, though Åkerfeldt still helped with vocal production.
Throughout the 1990s, the lineup outside Renkse
- formed
- 1991
- origin
- Stockholm, Sweden
- field
- Heavy metal / progressive rock
- nationality
- Swedish
- known_for
- Transition from death/doom metal to progressive rock; revolving lineup; founders Renkse and Nyström
Lore & Background
Katatonia was formed in 1991 by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström as a two-piece studio project. Their early work, including the demo Jhva Elohim Meth... The Revival (1991) and debut album Dance of December Souls (1993), featured black/doom metal traits. After recruiting a bassist for live shows, the band released Brave Murder Day (1996) with Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth on screamed vocals, as Renkse's vocal cord issues forced a shift. The band then moved away from extreme metal, releasing Discouraged Ones (1998) and Tonight's Decision (1999) with clean vocals and a more melodic style.
A stable quintet lineup—Renkse, Nyström, Fredrik Norrman, Mattias Norrman, and Daniel Liljekvist—produced four albums from 2001 to 2009: Last Fair Deal Gone Down, Viva Emptiness, The Great Cold Distance, and Night Is the
Reader's Guide
Katatonia's significance lies in their gradual transformation from a black/death metal duo to a progressive rock-influenced band, demonstrating how a group can evolve stylistically while retaining its core identity. Their early adoption of clean vocals and departure from screamed vocals marked a shift in the metal scene, influencing later melodic and progressive metal acts. The band's revolving lineup, with only founders Renkse and Nyström persisting, highlights the challenges of maintaining a stable group in the metal genre. Their albums from the 2000s, particularly Viva Emptiness and The Great Cold Distance, brought them international chart success and a dedicated following. Katatonia's legacy is one of artistic reinvention, from extreme metal roots to a more accessible yet still heavy sound, without abandoning their melancholic atmosphere.
Did You Know?
- Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth performed screamed vocals on the album Brave Murder Day (1996) due to Jonas Renkse's vocal cord issues.
- The band's first stable quintet lineup, lasting from 2000 to 2009, included Fredrik Norrman, Mattias Norrman, and Daniel Liljekvist.
- Katatonia's album Viva Emptiness (2003) was their first to chart, peaking at no. 17 on the Finnish charts.
- The band went into a semi-hiatus in early 2018 before returning in February 2019 with the album City Burials (2020).
More in Post-metal musical groups 1-24
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