Swedish grandeurs of melancholic heaviness, Katatonia return with Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State, set for release on 6th June via Napalm Records. Once again, the Stockholm-based unit navigate a tightrope act between nocturnal darkness and Scandinavian despair while subtly weaving a sense of hope into the listener’s heart.
Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State marks the next step in Katatonias evolution, building upon the foundation of their previous album, Sky Void Of Stars (2023), and also as an introduction to their two new guitarists – Theband now featuring vocalist and founding member Jonas Renkse, bassist Niklas Sandin, drummer Daniel Moilanen, and guitarists Nico Elgstrand and Sebastian Svalland.
With the album’s lead single ‘Lilac’ out now they offer a first glimpse of what fans can expect from the new record. The track showcases Renkse’s unmistakable vocals intertwining with hypnotic rhythms, heavy riffs, and progressive elements. Accompanied by an atmospheric official music video ‘Lilac’ speaks straight to the heart, drawing listeners into a whirlwind of stirring emotions.
Renkse commented: “We are proud and excited to announce our new album, Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State, coming out via Napalm Records on June 6. As always, these songs are the stories that thrive in the corner of the eye, obscured by the light but waiting to come alive in the dusk of our morbid existence. Please enjoy the first scent – ‘Lilac‘.”
On the album, crystal-clear production highlights the interplay between silence and intensity, while the contrast of heavy riffs, delicate guitar harmonies, ethereal synthesisers, and atmospheric nuances create captivating tension. Tracks like ‘Thrice’ and ‘Warden’ pulse with dynamic energy, a near-ceremonial piece, ‘Wind Of No Change’ merges subtle electronic textures with the band’s enigmatic soundscapes, while ‘Temporal’ balances fragility and strength – its intense verses culminating in a soaring, emotionally charged chorus. The breathtaking ‘Efter Solen’, translated into English as “After thesSun”, featuring Swedish lyrics, evokes echoes of Jonas Eika’s 2018 short story collection, with minimalistic yet striking instrumentation.
The album was produced by Jonas Renkse, recorded by Lawrence Mackrory at NBS Audio and The City of Glass, mixed by Adam Noble, and mastered by Robin Schmidt at 24-96 Mastering. It will be available in a variety of formats from here.
Tracks featured are: ‘Thrice’, ‘The Liquid Eye’, ‘Wind Of No Change’, ‘Lilac’, ‘Temporal’, ‘Departure Trails’, ‘Warden’, ‘The Light Which I Bleed’, ‘Efter Solen’ and ‘In the Event Of’.
For more news about Katatonia touring the UK with Everygrey and Klogr visit RAMzine here.
