April 2020 Album of the Month: Katatonia’s City Burials
Thursday, 14th May 2020
A really close one this month between Katatonia and Ulcerate, the gloomy squad from Sweden just edged ahead in our monthly voting. City Burials is the first release from Katatonia since 2016 – and a point where the future of the band was up in the air. City Burials does see the band tweak the formula a bit, but it’s quite the inspired one. More rock influences as well as poignant and emotional quiet moments leave a lasting impression on the listener and keep them coming back for more. Easily one of their strongest efforts in quite some time.
An excerpt from Kyle McGinn’s 9.5/10 review, which posted on April 22:
Coming off of The Fall of Hearts back in 2016, Katatonia sent some ripples through the metal community when the noted that the band was going to be taking a break. Some certainly wondered if the band was done for good, but now in 2020, the band has not only announced their return, but have also delivered a new album in the form of City Burials. Perhaps a break was what was needed, as City Burials soars with some of the strongest Katatonia releases in their extensive catalog – but it won’t necessarily be an album for everyone.
Katatonia has always been a band to wear their emotions on their sleeves, and City Burials feels like a truly personal album. It lingers in that gloomy, with a glimmer of sunlight breaking through, atmosphere that the band has championed for close to 30 years while introducing new elements to invigorate their sound. A reflective and expressive album that shows them in their best form.
Read the entire review HERE.
