Music review: Katatonia - Dance of December Souls (1993)
Ah, another of my 10/10 releases, now I only have to find the proper words to convey why…
First, let me say that if your first reaction to the cheesy cover art was Please God,
not gothic metal for Twilight readers!
you're not entirely wrong, and they don't hide the fact
that they're gunning for maximum emotional response. But not in a trashy YA novel way, no. I dare
say that their goal is exactly the same that motivated 19th century's romantic movement: the
enshrining and sublimation of an emotion into art.
Such a good recipe for hubris and disaster… yet their audible earnestness and unshakable faith in their vision allowed them to avoid these traps and fulfill their tall ambitions! You don't laugh at it like you might at Marylin Manson, it sounds so sincere the thought would never occur to anyone.
But how did they do it? I think there are four major components to that success:
- Renske's blackened vocals really are the best in the business, simply spine-tingling. The album's highlight, no doubt about it.
- The "backing" instrumentals are very interesting yet sensible! Be it the intricate drumming (so much better than what we got on Brave Murder Day), the haunting synth or the heavy, hypnotic riffs, there's never a dull moment despite the almost monotone bleakness!
- Swanö's production is, as always with this craftsman on par with Albini, simply perfect. The mix's clear focus on vocals, the strong reverb and general clarity despite a healthy LF amount… everything is how and where it should be.
- And finally, the lack of compromise in keeping that "pink" gloomy languor so strong and ubiquitous during the entire runtime does pay dividends in the end, because that's what enables the individual tracks to cease existing and meld into a monolithic, pure experience.
That's how this sonic embodiment of beautiful melancholia easily earns its seat in the very select club of albums that must be listened in full yet aren't concept albums needing lyrics as a crutch to reach this effect; that's the difference between a story and an aesthetic.
The only niggle I can muster against it is that your mileage will (not may) vary, in that enjoyment of Dance of December Souls is highly dependent on mood. But I think that's the case for all romantic art of such fervour, really.
