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This article is about the Swedish band Katatonia, which is not to be confused with the Welsh Pop-Rock band Catatonia. For the medical disease, see Catatonia.
Katatonia is a Swedish metal band formed in Stockholm in 1991 by Jonas Renkse (formerly aka Lord Seth) and Anders Nyström (formerly aka Blakkheim). The early Katatonia albums are noted for the overall melancholy of their sound, often giving them the classification of doom metal. Katatonia's more recent albums have progressed to a wider sound, with modern overtones, dropped guitars, symphonic synths and arrangements, alternative sounds and generally heavier riffs.
Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt performed the growling vocals on Brave Murder Day and Sounds of Decay after regular Katatonia singer (and then drummer) Jonas Renkse became unable to scream properly. During this time, the band decided to change their sound to a more soft sound with clean vocals beginning with 1998's Discouraged Ones. This shift in instrumental tone and vocal style was accompanied by an appreciable decrease in the length of the band's songs, with latter period songs typically lasting around four minutes.
Katatonia has released two compilations. Brave Yester Days (the title being a play on their album Brave Murder Day) is a double-disc release including all cuts from EPs up to Saw You Drown, selected cuts from full-length albums Brave Murder Day and Dance of December Souls, and two tracks from a compilation. The Black Sessions is a limited release that documents later releases and includes a live DVD.
Band members
Anders Nystrom and Mattias Norrman
Current members
- Jonas Renkse - lead vocals (1991 - present), drums, percussion (1991 - 1999)
- Anders "Blakkheim" Nyström - lead & rhythm guitars (1991 - present)
- Fredrik "North" Norrman - lead & rhythm guitars (1994 - present)
- Mattias "Kryptan" Norrman - bass guitar (1999 - present)
- Daniel Liljekvist - drums, percussion (1999 - present)
Former members
- Guillaume Le Huche - bass guitar (1992 - 1994)
- Mikael Oretoft - bass guitar (1996 - 1997)
- Mikael Åkerfeldt - vocals (1996 - 1997)
- Dan Swanö - keyboards (1992 - 1993), drums, percussion (1999)
- Kenneth Eklund - drums, percussion (live, 1996)
Discography
Albums
Live albums
EPs
Demos
Singles
- Ghost Of The Sun (2003)
- My Twin (2006)
- Deliberation (2006)
- July (2007)
Compilations
Side note
Frederik Norrman and Jonas Renkse were both in the doom/death band October Tide while in Katatonia. Rain Without End (1997, Vic Records), recorded in 1995, would be Renkse's last use of guttural vocals. October Tide would dissolve after the release of Grey Dawn (1999).
Renkse and Nystrom are both members of the band Bloodbath and have been since 1998 (the same year October Tide is credited with splitting up).
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