Niente da dire: i Katatonia sono una delle migliori, se non la migliore, band gothic-metal di sempre. Son passati anni dalla composizione di brani come "The Black Session" oppure "No Devotion", alcuni membri son cambiati, ma i 5 svedesi riescono a mantenersi a livelli altissimi, anzi, aggiungono al loro repertorio quel tocco di innovazione e originalità che tanto manca nel mondo musicale attuale.
"The Great Cold Distance" è un grande album, caratterizzato dai soliti ritmi "blandi" Katatoniani, ma allo stesso tempo potenti e melodici, con in evidenza la voce particolare di Jonas P. Renkse e quel suono ipnotizzante delle chitarre.
Si parte subito con "Leaders" che fa capire immediatamente la falsa riga dell'album, con riff in pieno gothic-style, e chitarre che non hanno niente da invidiare al suono di una tastiera. Si prosegue con il nuovo singolo estratto dall'album, "Deliberation", con la sua strofa piena di estasi, quasi volesse mettere ansia all'ascoltatore, che esplode in un ritornello che sa di liberazione. "Soils Song" è una delle mie preferite, caratterizzata dalla psichedelia monotona delle note di una chitarra che accompagna tutta la canzone, e il tutto si conclude con un'enfasi melodica e dalla voce decadente.
"Consternation" è una delle più cattive e lo si capisce da subito dalla batteria durissima, ma l'atmosfera tende a cambiare, come se ci fosse un passaggio dalla furia della tempesta alla quiete divina, ma per poco, la tempesta torna e resta fino all'ultimo istante. "Rusted" è bellissima, parte con un arpeggio accompagato da una melodia da brividi, per poi passare ad una ritmica quasi crossover, mantenendo le caratteristiche gothic-metal. Il riff iniziale di "July" è di quelli che si stampano in testa al primo ascolto, e vorrei sottolineare il gran lavoro alla batteria di Daniel Liljekvist, grande a trovare ritmi azzeccatissimi che danno quel tocco in più al brano. "The Itch" è un brano arpeggiato in quasi tutta la sua durata, ed in questo atto partecipa in maniera "sostanziosa" alla fase melodica anche il bassista Mattias Norrman... ma, in pieno Katatonia-style, la furia prenderà il sopravvento.
Queste sono 7 delle 12 traccie presenti nell'album, ma le altre non sono da meno... Album compatto, senza punti di calo, insomma: un grande album!
Che dire, i Katatonia sono tra i migliori gruppi metal in circolazione, e non sbagliano un colpo! I 5 sono dei maestri nel trovare quelle atmosfere gothc-ipnotiche, e riescono a non essere scontati e monotoni, anzi. Un disco consigliato non solo a chi ama il genere, perchè di gruppi come i Katatonia ce ne sono pochi.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Leaders (04:20)
Leaders come, stand in line.
Feel your true self, conformed.
I sold my soul, crossed the borderline.
I found something I'd never adjust to.
Come here, I payed up for you.
I have sold my weakness too.
Come here, I split my heart in two.
But you don't have it in you, do you.
Carbon soul, transparent and faded out.
See you soon, in my fiction.
I sold my song, my mouth was sewn.
It's coming undone, that's why I sold out.
Come here, I payed up for you.
I have sold my weakness too.
Come here, I split my heart in two.
But you don't have it in you, do you?
(Do you, do you, do you...)
02 Deliberation (03:59)
Visions come, visions come, in a sick room bed
There's something left to learn
Pass them on, let it show
Let the rich meet death
Confront our own concern
See us sleep behind the glass unaware of crime
Will you wake us up before it is time
Dueling circles, holds the only light
Break down my perspective
Notify everyone when the time is right
My mouth remains inactive
So when you let me in
Let me justify
My own rewards
You put your hands on me
Now I learn the words
I didnt know before
I am ice, I am clear
Let the world be cold
Our deliberation
Pass them on, let it show
Let the words come slow
Your constant incantation
Repeating cycle
Of light, no light
There's nothing in the air space
There's no one in the air space
Repeating cycle
Of love, no love
03 Soil's Song (04:12)
False
The dream is so far
Come and take the consequence
Few things are as certain
Winter stays
Oppressive wait
Evacuate
Assemble here
Soil's song
In your throat
Future death
In your reach
Who's first
Ok
Mask
Your face well hidden
Keep your last words in your hand
Fold it and open up
Time to go
Release the glow
Evacuate
Assemble here
Soil's song
In your throat
Future death
In your reach
Who's first
Ok
False
The dream is so far
Evacuate
Assemble here
Soil's song
In your throat
Future death
In your reach
Who's first
Ok
04 My Twin (03:41)
The neck, and then the chain
The head is hung in shame
The neck, and then the chain
The head is hung in shame
I thought that you had grown
That you'd carry on
But now that I am gone
What else's been withdrawn
You used to be like my twin
And all it's been
Was it all for nothing
Are you strong when you're with him
The one who's placed you above us all
I think our love
I'll let it pass
It feels like fire
But it won't last
What is it coming to
I'm unwilling to go on
You have lost
No-one has won
05 Consternation (03:50)
Wave back at me
Back is turned (back is turned)
If I failed once
The circuit burns
Saw you in the lampglow
You fade
Nothingness incarnate
Until I get there
Hidden I will be
Until I get there
Hidden I will be
Consternation
Eternal source
Overthrown
Stray from course
06 Follower (04:45)
Hurts to see
My incapacity
Shame
Idle mind
No
You have changed me
My mouth is shut
Stupidity have shut my mouth
Shame
Idle mind
No
You have changed me
So when you come
I'm too unprepared to come along
I hold your hand so hard
My knuckles turn white
When you clear the streets
And kill the lights
See the line
Border to freedom
The words
Underlined
My name
You have changed it
Your tone change to cool
This is how you tell me once again
How I have nothing on you
How everything is supposed to end
Father
I won't make it
It's the journey of a life
Fix my eyes on the sun
What have I done
07 Rusted (04:21)
Rush through the rusted veins
Illuminate the face of one
So I have a light
So unaware about the consequence
I heard no warning
About the little compromise
The distorted views you had
I heard no warning
Cold white spring
A wordless song I'll sing
Eye - a white cloud
All my thoughts are in doubt
08 Increase (04:20)
Vapor as thin as it gets
I stare right through
The severe sickness in this room
Not mine, it comes from you
So cold and deep
There wont be a time when I'm at ease
Increase, coldness
Increase, ignorance
Please rewind and look at you
As on film you will see a mask of shame
I think you will perceive
Your position in life
So unworthy
The severe sickness in this room
Not mine, it comes from you
Find and twist the answer
Save no one from harm
As seen in the vision
Sick sleep sick, dead earth
09 July (04:45)
You come clean
Waves collide now
Defenseless numb arms
And no voice of reason
So how come you invited me too
You knew I wanted you
You glide above
So this night belongs to you
I know this isn't through
Are you dead to love
I see the bright lights
It's the month of july
It's violent here
Why have you left me
If only you could stay
And keep me in
It's violent here
Why did you run from me
Heat
Night devour me
Repeat
Repetition
I see the bright lights
It's the month of july
It's violent here
Why have you left me
If only you could stay
And keep me in
It's violent here
Why did you run from me
10 In the White (04:53)
Are you in
Or are you out?
The words are stones in my mouth
Hush little baby
Don't you cry
Truth comes down
Strikes me in the eye
Turning seasons within
Brand new nails across my skin
Who am I to imply?
That I was found
That I found you in the white
To overcome this I become one with
The quiet cold of late November
If you don't see I'll remain unseen
Until there's time to be remembered
So I had a green light
I was lost in city lights
Not so far from a try
This is not our last goodbye
So I found you
Found a way all through
The quiet cold of inner darkness
And now that you're here
It becomes so clear
I have waited for you always
11 The Itch (04:20)
Movement subdued back then
So quiet now
Subsequence systematic violence
The great cold distance
The itch
The urge
Make way
Think of something
Bring out the fear
Past the tracks
Part the ways
One stand here
Medicate
Kill the itch
Check the air
And push and push and push and get there
Monochrome
Symbol on the surface
Reduced illumination
Chemical inheritance
The lies
The fever
12 Journey Through Pressure (04:20)
Pushing the will
Being alive
Well I have been
I came far
The process of trying
to act unharmed
It will fade off
Thoughts will unwind
No one mine
They are for you
when you come
So long
I'm cutting here
And water is blood when you come
The sky moves faster
At this time of year
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