Viva Emptiness

Katatonia: Jonas Renkse (vocals, guitar, programming); Andres Nystrom (guitar, keyboards, programming); Fred Norrman (guitar, slide guitar); Mattias Norrman (bass); Daniel Liljekvist (drums, percussion, background vocals).Recorded at Studio 301, Stockholm, Sweden and Studio Kuling B, Orebro, Sweden between October & November 2002.The kings of Swedish heavy rock and doom and gloom pop return with perhaps their strongest outing yet. Two years after its last release, Katatonia has issued the most balanced, forward-looking record of the band's career. While Discouraged Ones established a niche for the group in the U.S. and marked a turn from the dark metallic mayhem of earlier records Dance of December Souls and Brave Murder Day, it was 2000's Tonight's Decision and 2001's Last Fair Deal Gone Down that carved out the uniqueness of the band's sound. Here are equal parts dark gothic pop, crushing heavy rock, textured keyboards, lithe pop melodies, beautifully crafted songs with unique dy