Katatonia
is a five piece band comprising Jonas Renkse (vocals), Anders Nystrom
(guitar and keyboards), Daniel Liljekvist (drums and percussion), Per
Eriksson (lead and rhythm guitars) and Niklas Sandlin (bass). Wisdom of Crowds was my first introduction to Katatonia via
the voice of Jonas Renkse and having found this album a little gem, I
was looking forward to this remixed album, Dethroned and Uncrowned.
The stripped back sound, and that wonderful emotive, powerful voice
certainly seemed like the blueprint for something very different.
Dethroned and Uncrowned
is an 11 track album with a running time of around 46 minutes. Track 5,
“Buildings,” is the shortest track on show, clocking in at 3:23 minutes
and the album opening track, “The Parting” is the longest, but still
under 5:00 minutes, (4:51).
The opening track, “The Parting” (4:51), is simply superb and merges so well with the sound of the Wisdom of Crowds
album, with strings, acoustic guitars, almost unheard synths, gentle
piano and that voice, carrying the track along. This track has already
featured on the radio show and is an excellent opener to a fascinating
album. Gentle piano, synths, superb vocals and acoustic guitars,
unobtrusive in the background, all dovetail together on track 4, “The
Racing Heart” (3:25), to continue the direction highlighted in the first
track. The final track, “Dead Letters” (4:15) is another little gem
with soft synths, strings, acoustic guitars and that emotive voice of
Jonas Renkse.
Having not heard Dead End Kings, of for that matter, any Katatonia album, I cannot compare Dethroned and Uncrowned to last years’ Dead End Kings
album, or their sound in general, but I certainly like what I hear. The
sound is somber, atmospheric, chilling at times and always interesting,
drawing the listener into the soundscapes of each of the individual
tracks in turn.
How
fans of Katatonia will view the album may be different from my view.
Deconstructing, stripping down, re-interpreting, call it what you will, I
appreciate the album Dethroned and Uncrowned
without preconceptions, and I will happily put a “One To Buy” sticker
on the front of this album and encourage people to make a little space
on the shelf for their new purchase.
5/5 STARS
Key Tracks: The Parting: The Racing Heart: Dead Letters
Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-MuzikReviews.com Staff
October 2, 2013
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