Katatonia
Encyclopedia
Katatonia is a Swedish metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 band formed in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

 in 1991 by Jonas Renkse
Jonas Renkse
Jonas Petter Renkse is a founding member, songwriter, lead vocalist and ex-drummer of the band Katatonia, founding member, songwriter, bassist, backing vocalist, ex-guitarist of the band Bloodbath and member of Sailors With Wax Wings.He was also the founding member, drummer, vocalist, guitarist...

 (formerly aka Lord Seth) and Anders Nyström
Anders Nyström
Anders Nyström, also known as Blakkheim is a Swedish musician who was born on April 22, 1975 in Stockholm.-Biography:...

 (formerly aka Blakkheim).

1991-1993

The early Katatonia releases, such as the EP Jhva Elohim Meth... The Revival
Jhva Elohim Meth... The Revival
Jhva Elohim Meth... The Revival is the EP version of Katatonia's demo tape Jhva Elohim Meth.-Track listing:# "Midwinter Gates " – 0:43# "Without God" – 6:52# "Palace of Frost" – 3:40# "The Northern Silence" – 4:00...

and their debut album Dance of December Souls
Dance of December Souls
Dance of December Souls is the first full-length album by Katatonia.The album was released on CD in 1993 by No Fashion Records and LP by Helion Records, released in the USA in 1999 by Century Black. In 2004, record label Black Lodge reissued the album with all new artwork, but the band has stated...

, are noted for the overall bleak melancholy and despair of their sound, often giving them the classification of doom metal
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...

 or death/doom
Death/doom
Death/doom, sometimes writes as death-doom or deathdoom, is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It combines the slow tempos and pessimistic or depressive mood of doom metal with the deep growling vocals and double kick drumming of death metal...

. The early Katatonia albums are sometimes, along with albums by bands such as My Dying Bride
My Dying Bride
My Dying Bride are an English doom metal band formed in 1990. To date, My Dying Bride have released eleven full-length studio albums, three EPs, one demo, one box set, four compilation albums, one live album, and one live CD/DVD release. The band released their tenth studio album, For Lies I Sire,...

, Anathema
Anathema (band)
Anathema are an English band from Liverpool primarily known for their ever evolving sound. Beginning as pioneers of the death/doom metal sub-genre, their later albums have been associated with genres such as alternative rock, progressive rock, art rock, new prog, and post-rock.-History:Anathema...

 and Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost (band)
Paradise Lost are a heavy metal band that formed in 1988 in Halifax, England.-History:Their first three full-length albums are examples of the death/doom style, although the latter two incorporated some melodic and gothic elements...

, considered forerunners of the death/doom
Death/doom
Death/doom, sometimes writes as death-doom or deathdoom, is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It combines the slow tempos and pessimistic or depressive mood of doom metal with the deep growling vocals and double kick drumming of death metal...

 genre. The band has expressed that their music has been influenced by bands such as The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...

, Fields of the Nephilim
Fields of the Nephilim
Fields of the Nephilim are an English gothic rock band formed in Stevenage, Hertfordshire in 1984. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Carl McCoy, saxophonist Gary Whisker, Tony Pettitt on bass, guitarist Paul Wright and drummer Alexander "Nod" Wright...

, and Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...

.

1994

The band recorded For Funerals to Come
For Funerals to Come
For Funerals To Come is a four-song EP released by Katatonia in 1995. All four songs later appeared on the Century Black release of the band's 1996 album Brave Murder Day....

in September 1994, with the album being released in 1995. Afterwards, Le Huche left the band.

1996-1997

When Jonas formed October Tide in 1995 with Fredrik Norrman, Jonas decided to start Katatonia again and got Fredrik to join the band.

In 1996, Opeth
Opeth
Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...

's Mikael Åkerfeldt
Mikael Åkerfeldt
Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt is a Swedish musician who achieved fame as the lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of progressive death metal band Opeth as well as the lead vocalist of death metal band Bloodbath. He was the vocalist and guitarist for the band Sörskogen and the guitarist of the band Steel...

 performed the growling vocals on Brave Murder Day
Brave Murder Day
- Notes :# "Murder" & "Rainroom" is featured on Brave Yester Days.# "12" is a re-recorded version of the song Black Erotica from the W.A.R. Compilation Volume 1...

when regular Katatonia singer (and then-drummer) Jonas Renkse
Jonas Renkse
Jonas Petter Renkse is a founding member, songwriter, lead vocalist and ex-drummer of the band Katatonia, founding member, songwriter, bassist, backing vocalist, ex-guitarist of the band Bloodbath and member of Sailors With Wax Wings.He was also the founding member, drummer, vocalist, guitarist...

 became unable to perform harsh vocals properly.

Scarlet Heavens (with Primordial
Primordial (band)
Primordial is an extreme metal band from Skerries, County Dublin, Ireland. It was formed in 1987 by Pól MacAmlaigh and Ciarán MacUiliam . Their sound melds black metal with Irish folk music.-Biography:...

) was also released in 1996 but recorded in 1994 as what Jonas describes as something "we never intended to release" due to its soft sound in which Katatonia did, which was not their style. During one of Katatonia's tours, Jonas fell ill and was temporarily replaced by Kenneth Englund.

In 1997, The band enlisted help from Åkerfeldt once again for Sounds of Decay
Sounds of Decay
-Katatonia:* Blackheim – guitar* Fredrik Norrman – guitar; bass* Jonas Renkse – drum kit...

. The band decided to go back to the sound they had with Scarlet Heavens beginning with 1997's Saw You Drown
Saw You Drown
Saw You Drown is a four-song EP released by Katatonia in 1998, limited to 1500 handnumbered copies.Today the EP is a true collectors' item and was recently issued on clear/blue wax 10" LP in 1000 hand-numbered copies....

.

1998

In 1997, Discouraged Ones
Discouraged Ones
Discouraged Ones is the third full-length album by Katatonia. The album was released in 1998.This is the last Katatonia release with Mikael Oretoft...

was recorded and released the next year; it proved to be the last release on which Jonas played drums, as well as the last release with Mikael Oretoft on bass guitar.

Katatonia had Anders Nordin
Anders Nordin
Anders Nordin is a Brazilian drummer , best known for his work with progressive death metal band Opeth.Nordin was asked to join Opeth by Mikael Åkerfeldt, having previously played with him in another death metal band, Eruption...

 to take up drums for Jonas but Anders pulled out of the band at the last minute.

1999-2000

Since Jonas wanted focus strictly on Vocals permanently, Katatonia enlisted the help of Dan Swanö again to drum for the 1999 album Tonight's Decision
Tonight's Decision
-Personnel:* Jonas Renkse – vocals* Anders Nyström – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals* Fredrik Norrman – guitar, bass guitar* Dan Swanö – session drums...

.

Sick of using session members, the band decided to have a permanent lineup so Fred Norrman got his brother, Mattias Norrman as a bassist and Daniel Liljekvist joined the band as the drummer.

2001-2002

In 2000, the EP Teargas
Teargas EP
Teargas EP is a three-song EP released by Katatonia in 2001.This is Mattias Norrman's and Daniel Liljekvist's first release with the band.This EP is featured on The Black Sessions.This lineup went up to Night Is the New Day.-Track listing:...

, the full-length album Last Fair Deal Gone Down, and the single Tonight's Music
Tonight's Music
-Note:# "Tonight's Music" is from Last Fair Deal Gone Down.# "O' How I Enjoy The Light" is cover version of Will Oldham.-Katatonia:* Jonas Renkse – Singing* Anders Nyström – guitars, keyboards,* Fredrik Norrman – guitars* Mattias Norrman – Bass guitar...

were all recorded. They were released in 2001.

2003-2005

"Ghost of the Sun
Ghost of the sun
-Track listing:-Credits:Katatonia* Jonas Renkse – vocals, additional guitar, programing* Anders Nyström – guitar, keyboards, programming, backing vocals* Fredrik Norrman – guitar* Mattias Norrman – bass...

" and Viva Emptiness
Viva Emptiness
Viva Emptiness is the sixth full-length album by Katatonia, released in 2003 by Peaceville Records.Its main subjects are loneliness, social relations, crime, lying and depression...

, a single and a full-length album respectively, were recorded in 2002 but released in 2003.

In 2004, the band released Brave Yester Days
Brave Yester Days
- Credits :Katatonia* Lord Seth /Lord J. Renkse - Drum kit, Clean vocals, Lyrics & Screaming...

(the title being a play on their album Brave Murder Day), which 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.

In 2005, another compilation was release called The Black Sessions
The Black Sessions
-Disc two:-Disc three:Disc three is a live DVD performance by Katatonia in Krakow, Poland, while Katatonia was touring in support of Viva Emptiness.# "Ghost of the Sun"# "Criminals"# "Teargas"# "I Break"# "I Am Nothing"# "Sweet Nurse"...

. It documented later releases and includes a live DVD.

2006-2008

In 2005, the band recorded The Great Cold Distance
The Great Cold Distance
-Credits:Katatonia* Jonas Renkse – vocals, additional guitar, keyboards & programming* Anders Nyström – lead & rhythm guitar, backing vocals, keyboards & programming* Fredrik Norrman – lead & rhythm guitar* Mattias Norrman – bass...

, along with the accompanying singles "My Twin
My Twin
-Katatonia:* Jonas Renkse - vocals, guitar, keyboards, loops, programming, sound effects, music & arrangement* Anders Nyström - guitar, keyboard, loops, programming & f/x, music & arrangement* Fredrick Norrman - guitar* Mattias Norrman - bass...

", "Deliberation", and "July", all of which were released in 2006.

In 2006, their appearance at the Summer Breeze festival was filmed, the release called Live Consternation
Live Consternation
Live Consternation is a live album and video by Swedish heavy metal band Katatonia, released in both CD and DVD format through Peaceville Records, on 28 May 2007. The double album features a live performance recorded at Germany's Summer Breeze Open Air festival, on 17 August 2006...

was released in 2007.

2009-present

Katatonia's most recent release, 2009's Night Is the New Day
Night Is the New Day
-Chart performance:-Personnel:*Jonas Renkse – vocals, lyrics, production*Anders Nyström – lead guitar, production*Fredrik Norrman – rhythm guitar*Mattias Norrman – bass guitar*Daniel Liljekvist – drumsAdditional Personnel...

, has received widespread critical acclaim. In December 2009, the Norrmans left Katatonia. In late 2009, Per Eriksson and Niklas Sandin joined the band for the Night Is The New Day tour.

The band reissued Night Is the New Day and Last Fair Deal Gone Down in 2011.

Katatonia is currently playing shows in celebration of their 20th anniversary. Katatonia played in Lebanon for the first time on September 3, 2011. The event took place at the Roman Amphitheatre in Zouk Mikael
Zouk Mikael
Zouk Mikael is a town in the Keserwan District of Mount Lebanon. The town is famous for its Ottoman era old souk, which was renovated and restored in 1995...

. Katatonia are currently special guests on Opeth’s North American Heritage
Heritage (Opeth album)
Heritage is the tenth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth, released on 13 September 2011 by Roadrunner Records.The album was recorded in early 2011 at Atlantis studios in Stockholm, Sweden. It was produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt, engineered by Janne Hansson and mixed by Steven Wilson...

tour that runs from September 2011 until November 2011. Katatonia are slated to headline Madrid Is the Dark III. They will close the two-day festival on December 10, 2011. This will be the only Katatonia show in Spain for 2011.

The mini album For Funerals to Come
For Funerals to Come
For Funerals To Come is a four-song EP released by Katatonia in 1995. All four songs later appeared on the Century Black release of the band's 1996 album Brave Murder Day....

will be reissued on record and CD through Peaceville Records
Peaceville Records
Peaceville Records is a British independent metal-oriented record label. The label was founded by Paul "Hammy" Halmshaw in 1987, in Dewsbury, England...

. The vinyl version will be released on November 7, 2011.

On December 14, Katatonia will perform a special concert in Stockholm celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band. The concert will feature appearances by former members of the band, along with other musicians such as Krister Linder
Krister Linder
Krister Linder is a New York-based Swedish electronic musician.Krister started his music career in 1987 as the vocalist of the Swedish band Grace.Under the name Chris Lancelot, he was the vocalist of the Swedish band Dive from 1990 to 1994....

.

Band members

Current
  • Jonas Renkse
    Jonas Renkse
    Jonas Petter Renkse is a founding member, songwriter, lead vocalist and ex-drummer of the band Katatonia, founding member, songwriter, bassist, backing vocalist, ex-guitarist of the band Bloodbath and member of Sailors With Wax Wings.He was also the founding member, drummer, vocalist, guitarist...

     – lead vocals (since 1991), drums, percussion (1991–1999)
  • Anders "Blakkheim" Nyström
    Anders Nyström
    Anders Nyström, also known as Blakkheim is a Swedish musician who was born on April 22, 1975 in Stockholm.-Biography:...

     – lead& rhythm guitars, live backing vocals (since 1991)
  • Daniel Liljekvist – drums, percussion (since 1999)

with
  • Per "Sodomizer" Eriksson – live lead & rhythm guitars (since 2009)
  • Niklas "Nille" Sandin – live bass (since 2009)


Former
  • Guillaume Le Huche – bass (1992–1994)
  • Mikael Oretoft – bass (1996–1997)
  • Fredrik "North" Norrman – lead & rhythm guitars (1994–2009)
  • Mattias "Kryptan" Norrman – bass (1999–2009)

Session
  • Dan Swanö
    Dan Swanö
    Dan-Erland Swanö is a Swedish musician who is currently the vocalist, guitarist, ex-bassist and ex-drummer for the band Nightingale as well as the Owner of Unisound but he achieved fame as the vocalist and songwriter of progressive death metal band Edge of Sanity.As a multi-instrumentalist he is...

     – keyboards (1992–1993), drums on Tonight's Decision (1999)
  • Mikael Åkerfeldt
    Mikael Åkerfeldt
    Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt is a Swedish musician who achieved fame as the lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of progressive death metal band Opeth as well as the lead vocalist of death metal band Bloodbath. He was the vocalist and guitarist for the band Sörskogen and the guitarist of the band Steel...

     – vocals (1996–1997)
  • Kenneth Englund – drums (1996)
  • Frank Default – keyboards, strings & percussion (2006-)

Albums

  • Dance of December Souls
    Dance of December Souls
    Dance of December Souls is the first full-length album by Katatonia.The album was released on CD in 1993 by No Fashion Records and LP by Helion Records, released in the USA in 1999 by Century Black. In 2004, record label Black Lodge reissued the album with all new artwork, but the band has stated...

    (1993)
  • Brave Murder Day
    Brave Murder Day
    - Notes :# "Murder" & "Rainroom" is featured on Brave Yester Days.# "12" is a re-recorded version of the song Black Erotica from the W.A.R. Compilation Volume 1...

    (1996)
  • Discouraged Ones
    Discouraged Ones
    Discouraged Ones is the third full-length album by Katatonia. The album was released in 1998.This is the last Katatonia release with Mikael Oretoft...

    (1998)
  • Tonight's Decision
    Tonight's Decision
    -Personnel:* Jonas Renkse – vocals* Anders Nyström – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals* Fredrik Norrman – guitar, bass guitar* Dan Swanö – session drums...

    (1999)
  • Last Fair Deal Gone Down (2001)
  • Viva Emptiness
    Viva Emptiness
    Viva Emptiness is the sixth full-length album by Katatonia, released in 2003 by Peaceville Records.Its main subjects are loneliness, social relations, crime, lying and depression...

    (2003)
  • The Great Cold Distance
    The Great Cold Distance
    -Credits:Katatonia* Jonas Renkse – vocals, additional guitar, keyboards & programming* Anders Nyström – lead & rhythm guitar, backing vocals, keyboards & programming* Fredrik Norrman – lead & rhythm guitar* Mattias Norrman – bass...

    (2006)
  • Night Is the New Day
    Night Is the New Day
    -Chart performance:-Personnel:*Jonas Renkse – vocals, lyrics, production*Anders Nyström – lead guitar, production*Fredrik Norrman – rhythm guitar*Mattias Norrman – bass guitar*Daniel Liljekvist – drumsAdditional Personnel...

    (2009)

Live albums

  • The Black Sessions
    The Black Sessions
    -Disc two:-Disc three:Disc three is a live DVD performance by Katatonia in Krakow, Poland, while Katatonia was touring in support of Viva Emptiness.# "Ghost of the Sun"# "Criminals"# "Teargas"# "I Break"# "I Am Nothing"# "Sweet Nurse"...

    (Best of double disc set with a live DVD) (2005)
  • Live Consternation
    Live Consternation
    Live Consternation is a live album and video by Swedish heavy metal band Katatonia, released in both CD and DVD format through Peaceville Records, on 28 May 2007. The double album features a live performance recorded at Germany's Summer Breeze Open Air festival, on 17 August 2006...

    (including live DVD) (2007)

EPs

  • Jhva Elohim Meth... The Revival
    Jhva Elohim Meth... The Revival
    Jhva Elohim Meth... The Revival is the EP version of Katatonia's demo tape Jhva Elohim Meth.-Track listing:# "Midwinter Gates " – 0:43# "Without God" – 6:52# "Palace of Frost" – 3:40# "The Northern Silence" – 4:00...

    (1992)
  • For Funerals to Come
    For Funerals to Come
    For Funerals To Come is a four-song EP released by Katatonia in 1995. All four songs later appeared on the Century Black release of the band's 1996 album Brave Murder Day....

    (1995)
  • Sounds of Decay
    Sounds of Decay
    -Katatonia:* Blackheim – guitar* Fredrik Norrman – guitar; bass* Jonas Renkse – drum kit...

    (1997)
  • Saw You Drown
    Saw You Drown
    Saw You Drown is a four-song EP released by Katatonia in 1998, limited to 1500 handnumbered copies.Today the EP is a true collectors' item and was recently issued on clear/blue wax 10" LP in 1000 hand-numbered copies....

    (1998)
  • Teargas (2001)
  • Tonight's Music
    Tonight's Music
    -Note:# "Tonight's Music" is from Last Fair Deal Gone Down.# "O' How I Enjoy The Light" is cover version of Will Oldham.-Katatonia:* Jonas Renkse – Singing* Anders Nyström – guitars, keyboards,* Fredrik Norrman – guitars* Mattias Norrman – Bass guitar...

    (2001)
  • The Longest Year
    The Longest Year
    The Longest Year is an EP by the Swedish band Katatonia. "Sold Heart" is the only track on this EP to be previously unreleased. The videos for "The Longest Year" and "Day & then the Shade" were directed by Charlie Granberg and Lasse Hoile, respectively...

    (2010)

Demos

  • Rehearsal '91 (1991)
  • Rehearsal '92 (1992)
  • Jhva Elohim Meth
    Jhva Elohim Meth
    Jhva Elohim Meth which means "God is dead", a quotation from Friedrich Nietzsche's The Gay Science, is the first official release by Katatonia. It was released in July 1992 and was limited to 500 copies of which 300 were blue, 100 transparent and 100 red. The first 30 copies came with photos and...

    (1992)

Singles

  • Ghost of the Sun
    Ghost of the sun
    -Track listing:-Credits:Katatonia* Jonas Renkse – vocals, additional guitar, programing* Anders Nyström – guitar, keyboards, programming, backing vocals* Fredrik Norrman – guitar* Mattias Norrman – bass...

    (2003)
  • My Twin
    My Twin
    -Katatonia:* Jonas Renkse - vocals, guitar, keyboards, loops, programming, sound effects, music & arrangement* Anders Nyström - guitar, keyboard, loops, programming & f/x, music & arrangement* Fredrick Norrman - guitar* Mattias Norrman - bass...

    (2006)
  • Deliberation (2006)
  • July (2007)
  • Day and Then the Shade (2009)

Compilations

  • W.A.R. Compilation Vol. 1 (1994)
  • Split 10" (1996)
  • Identity Five (1999) Century Media (features "Deadhouse")
  • Peaceville Classic Cuts (2001) Peaceville (features the track "No devotion")
  • Brave Yester Days
    Brave Yester Days
    - Credits :Katatonia* Lord Seth /Lord J. Renkse - Drum kit, Clean vocals, Lyrics & Screaming...

    (2004)
  • The Black Sessions
    The Black Sessions
    -Disc two:-Disc three:Disc three is a live DVD performance by Katatonia in Krakow, Poland, while Katatonia was touring in support of Viva Emptiness.# "Ghost of the Sun"# "Criminals"# "Teargas"# "I Break"# "I Am Nothing"# "Sweet Nurse"...

    (2005)
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