Right from the start it is apparent that Katatonia are both looking back and forward at the same time. The songs on Sky Void of Stars have a very familiar feeling that recalls albums like Dead End Kings in a light poppy approach. But instrumentally what is happening here more recalls the subtly intricate material of the Viva Emptiness/The Great Cold Distance era. It is like the band have finally learned to marry their gloomy alternative metal with a more accessible pop oriented sound. This might sound terrible to those wanting another dose of the band’s trademark depressive darkness, but the results here stand on their own as something new for a band that yet again have found a way to evolve with a few subtle touches. A big part of this success is that the album has a great flow as it shuffles from idea to idea almost all the way to the end where there is a slight, albeit forgivable, drop in quality. “Austerity” opens the album with some rhythmic fuckery that is unlike Katatonia but it settles comfortably into their usual style. The following songs “Colossal Shade” and “Opaline” add some unusual groove and a kind of sad, almost jazz-y sound. It makes the first half of the album flow by as a breeze.
However, one of the most significant changes on this album is that Jonas Renkse, an ever reliable singer, takes a step back and lets the music shine unexpectedly. The previous album City Burials seemed to center around him, understandably, as he seemed to largely have written the material as solo material, to its detriment. Sky Void of Stars sees the band working as a well oiled machine again. Ideas like their old love for Paradise Lost riffs (“Birds”), occasional dirge-like riffs (“Drab Moon”), and generally odd but fitting drum fills and bass pops all get their time in the depressively bright sun. As for missteps, “Atrium” sounds like a song that easily could have been cut as it is stock Katatonia. And some material can err a bit much on the minimalistic side for the band, but these are nitpicks that will not spoil my enjoyment of the music as a whole. The transformation Katatonia undergoes here reminds me of that of The Cure as they emerged form their early period of darkness to make music that is lighter in tone but not in expression.
