Katatonia has always been in my mind a mediocre melodic black/death metal band. I’ve seen them perform live many years ago and I think I confused them with another band that I’ve seen that day. This was around the same time I started smoking pot and drinking beer so maybe that’s the cause of confusion. Anyway, I wished I hadn’t made that mistake because otherwise I would have listened to them a lot earlier. There’s plenty to be enjoyed on “Viva Emptiness”, despite the sombre ironic title (or maybe it’s optimistic, it can be interpreted both ways). Katatonia has the gift to write memorable songs that stay in your head after hearing them just once; mainly because the catchy choruses that invite the listener to sing along. At times Katatonia sounds like the extreme metal band that started many years ago but most of the time the sound is laid back and best listened through headphones (dare I say “Viva Emptiness” is a poppy metal album?). The warm voice of Jonas Renske is a source of calmness amidst the sometimes heavy guitar parts and the occasional keyboards and gives “Viva Emptiness” just the atmosphere of melancholy and regret the title promised.

Lyric wise, Katatonia describe not the most pleasant subjects: regret, oppression, the feeling that time slipped past you and you’re standing at the end of your life wondering if it was all worth it? That’s the feeling I get when listening to the music and reading the lyrics. Then again, the lyrics are fairly abstract and open to interpretation so it could be I’m the pessimist around here.

Katatonia has the tide of time with them as bands like Opeth and Tool are becoming increasingly popular. These bands are also a clue as to what musical direction Katatonia is heading. A band like 30 Seconds To Mars also comes to mind when listening to “Viva Emptiness”. Katatonia is not (yet) on the same level as these bands, but I’m confident that it is just a matter of time before they reach that level because they have the skills and the ambition.