We are only two days away from the release of a new album of gothic legends, Katatonia. Between the upcoming The Fall Of Hearts and the previous Dead End Kings the band released numerous records. Reworked Dead End Kings (which was worse than original), a reimagined vision of their best album, Viva Emptiness (which was, also, worse than original release), one EP named Kocytean, and a live album titled Sanctitude. At first, this looks like another cash grab (like all the albums I mentioned at the start of this review), but when you hit the play button, you’ll realize why this release just had to be published.
Album was recorded during the live show at Union Chapel, London. The venue was a perfect fit for the type of music Katatonia plays, and when we add the acoustic type of the show into the equation, we get the best live album of 2015, by far. The atmosphere was surreal, the scenery, the guys from the band, all was just perfect, creating a one of a kind personal, intimate experience. The setlist was spot-on, it was not filled with hits from the past twenty or so years, the band picked songs that sound the best when played on acoustic guitars. Only Jonas had an electric instrument, but that was just for a couple of leads that really can’t be played on an acoustic guitar.
From the opener, in The White, ‘till the last song of the show, The One You Are Looking For Is Not Here, an intense feeling of melancholy will fill your soul. Every single song was played with such high emotional level that you’ll probably catch yourself on the edge of tears a couple of times. There are few surprises that will just make you love this live album even more. Gone, a crushing loneliness anthem for the masterpiece Discouraged Ones is not for anyone who recently survived a tough break up; you’ll just revisit the past, and not in a good way; Day, a dark prediction of our future is also a pleasant surprise, but the winner is Omerta, a song that wasn’t played live for many years, now finally got included in the setlist, resulting in ecstatic reaction from the audience.
Jonas was visibly nervous (he mentioned that a couple of times during the show) but his interaction with the crowd is emotional and sincere. The band had help from Bruce Soord from Pineapple Thief, and he did his job marvelously like he was a part of the band for many years. If possible, check out the video of the show; when watching it, the album as a whole will get a completely new layer of quality. What else to say, except that every fan of Katatonia should check this out. A stunning live album that will fascinate every admirer of gothic sound, especially when watching the video of the show; an acoustic concert inside a chapel is actually a perfect recipe for getting a magnificent live experience from Katatonia.
