Need some progressive-heavy-epic-doom-metal to get you through these trying times? Swedish lords of sombre Katatonia are back with their long-awaited new album City Burials, and not a moment too soon! Bucking a shock 2018 hiatus to uncork what could be one of the decades most concise and slick heavy metal album, City Burials sees Katatonia at peak excellence.
Founding member and guitarist Anders Nyström caught up with Metal Injection for a deep-dive into City Burials, side-project/super-group Bloodbath, the evolution of Stockholm's metal sound and much more!
On Katatonia's 2018 Hiatus
It was a basically a time-out, where we needed to get everyone attentive to the issues we weren’t happy with and also get enough time to reflect on future direction. Perhaps, if it hadn’t been for the Night Is The New Day anniversary, I’m not really sure when the next crucial motivation would have shown up. We were really eager to celebrate that album that the anniversary shows ended up working as a stepping stone back to the stage.
On the Addition of Roger Öjersson as a Full-Time Bandmember
I think the main difference between me and Roger comes down to our guitar playing. To put it simple, he’s a virtuoso and I’m not! He can shred and play classical guitar, I can’t! I have my focus in the songwriting/production department and perhaps got some modest chops as a rhythm player and leads, but as soon as those leads crosses over into solo territory, they’re way better off executed by Roger’s fingers. I’m happy Katatonia got enriched by that contrast in abilities, it’s like the weapons in our musical arsenal just got way more powerful.
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On Chemistry with Jonas
Well our ties go back to our early teens while still attending high school. Back then we were just on the threshold of dedicating our entire adult lives to music. Those times were magic! Everything was new and exciting; a new world was opening its doors for us where we lived and breathed extreme metal, non-stop! We were hell bent to make ourselves a name in the underground. We had a strong clear vision and we carried the ambition to go after it and three decades later we’re still here going down the only road we’ve ever known… I guess we always made sure to complement each other to make sure the Katatonia boat can always set sail.
On the Flow of New Album City Burials
I like to view it as a roller coaster ride taking you through the sonic landscapes of emotional highs and lows. I think the nature of our track lists these days are very diverse, as we constantly expand our musical territory. We can have two songs back to back on the album, sounding nothing like each other and even argue how they represent two completely different genres, but still, claim they both indisputably sound like Katatonia. That’s the beauty of allowing freedom and creativity to be intertwined without limits in our own musical universe.
On the Themes/Backstory Behind City Burials
Well, to tell you the truth, ‘City Burials’ was originally supposed to become Jonas solo album, which he was working on together with Anders Eriksson (aka Frank Default) on guest keyboards in the mean time of the Katatonia hiatus. However, he changed his mind at the very last stage, just before hitting the studio with other musicians. Jonas rather wanted it to become a Katatonia album, so he played me all the songs and since he writes just as much music for Katatonia as I do (or in fact even more these days), the Katatonia connection was already there in most of the material with a fairly easy transition to apply. So, we decided re-arrange some of the songs, hit the studio and co-produce it together. Did it feel weird for me for the first time ever to see none of my songs on the album? Yes. Did it matter? Not really. The album passed far above the “quality control” and that’s what counts.
On the Metal Evolution in Stockholm
Well, the climate has changed so much. Back in those early days, we were still so young, inexperienced, not carrying much responsibilities and we had so much time on our hands. We were eager to take every chance of escaping society and just co-exist in our own world. There was a lot of daydreaming during those days, a lot of fantasy involved in every step of the way. Everything was so different back then! The record industry was still at its peak under the old model, where physical albums really sold well and record stores still mattered. Printed magazines were the main source for news and “word of mouth”. There was no streaming as the internet still had a few years left until its global arrival. Up until then, the whole community and the scene was on breathing on the “street” so to speak. We’ve seen tons of killer Stockholm bands come and go through the years, but I’m not sure who’s still waving the flag from the old days anymore? Who’s still going strong with the original line-up? Probably none. Anyways, I haven’t considered myself part or an insider of the Stockholm scene for many years, I just happen to live my private life here, while my professional life as a touring musician 99% of the time means I’m heading for the international airport rather than anything domestic.
On Changing Influences for He & Katatonia
Yeah that palette has been vibrant. I see Katatonia going through three shifts, out of which the two first took us through a major stylistic change. 1991-1996 was our developing extreme metal phase although our first and second albums still sound very different compared to each other. 1997-2002 was our alternative and experimental metal phase where all our non-metal influences exclusively came into the picture. Finally, everything since 2003 and up till today is what people recognise as our current sound and what has become the trademark of the band, which spans everything from progressive metal, classic rock, folk music and even traces of jazz. When it comes to influences these days, they haven’t really changed that much from what we used to listen to back in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Our old all-time faves/classics still serve that purpose, but these days it even feels like Katatonia albums in some ways write themselves. The catalyst is our back catalogue and how we try to find new ways of improving, avoiding or re-visiting specific musical chapters from it.
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On Supergroup Bloodbath
Oh Bloodbath! It’s been such a fun project! The yin and yang concept of having two active bands that represent something completely different, has been sustaining a perfect balance and healthy dose of motivation. Ahead from here, we have concrete plans for a new Bloodbath chapter that I’m pushing to pursue rather sooner than later. We’re jamming with Tomas Åkvik (LIK) these days and also Waltteri Väyrynen (Paradise Lost & Bodom After Midnight) is filling in for everything Axe can’t do. Jonas and I are still at the core with Old Nick plotting his dark desires.
On Potential Plans for 30th Anniversary Celebrations
Yeah we actually got something up our sleeves for it. Fingers crossed we can make it reality.
On Katatonia in 2020
To put it in metaphors, while some bands have set their basecamp at the top of the hill or even had to make their way down on the other side, some band still have to settle stopping somewhere on the way up, not really going anywhere, not up, but also not down. I think we’re one of those bands. We have our fanbase and demographic, it’s just not expanding much, but it’s not reducing either. We continue to do what we do, almost in a parallel universe to the commercial media, between the mainstream and the underground. Dead end kings.
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