Can’t you see it’s all tarnished?
Dark progressive act Katatonia have stirred their haunting brand of metallic melancholy for some time now, with the Swedish five-piece dating back to the early Nineties. Just one year ago, the band returned from a year-long hiatus, as they celebrated ten years of their Night is the New Day album. Now, the band seems to be back and focused, and their new single is a testament to such.
In the new song “Lacquer,” the band conjures up feelings of hopelessness and dread over a lush soundscape of synths, a gentle, staccato guitar arpeggio, and the evocative voice of singer Jonas Renske. As has been the case for the last couple of Katatonia albums, the sound is less metal, and while I could certainly envision how this song would sound with distorted guitars behind the chorus, that does not take away from the drama and the emotional provocation that “Lacquer” provides.
With the new single comes the announcement of the band’s next studio effort, entitled City Burials. The disc is slated for an April 24th release through Peaceville Records, and has a number of pre-order packages available, including colored vinyl and a mediabook deluxe edition CD. Those who pre-order the album will receive the haunting new single “Lacquer” immediately as a digital download.
Listen to “Lacquer” below.