To celebrate Tuesday’s release of Dead End Kings, we asked Katatonia guitarist Anders Nyström to a pick a non-Katatonia record that related in some way to each of his band’s nine full-length records. Last week, Anders’ entries took us from 1993′s Dance Of December Souls up through and including 1999′s Tonight’s Decision. Now, starting with 2001’s Last Fair Deal Gone Down—our number six album of the 2000s—we present the second half of his picks, which we’ve compiled into one comprehensive Spotify playlist. Given the wide parameters—where his head was at musically, something that he was really into at the time or represents the period for him—we think that some of his selections will continue to surprise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gum-xJSW-h0
Last Fair Deal Gone Down (2001) :: The Cure’s Disintegration
The album that has meant more to me than any other record. There are a few tunes on here that are just…indescribably deep, literally! I think I let this influence culminate on this album and very often I felt the urge that I wanted to make a heavier version of it. I don’t think we’d been ready to achieve that earlier, but things fell into place around this time.
Last Fair Deal Gone Down (2001) :: Metallica’s Metallica
It seems like still I’m one of the few that absolutely loves The Black Album?! Undeniably, the production was and still is one of a kind, a monster of a recording. When everyone was busy shouting “sell outs!” and cursed songs like “The Unforgiven” and “Nothing Else Matters”, I was laying on my bed with these songs in my headphones and wishing they were mine! I had a big Metallica revisit later and listened a lot to all their albums—even Load and Reload—but The Black Album tied in with what we were after probably because of the stellar production and also the “musicality” that really shines.
Viva Emptiness (2003) :: A Perfect Circle’s Mer De Noms
Maynard’s new band A Perfect Circle made a huge impact on us as it sounded very close to what we were after musically and it especially influenced us in the vocal department as we were finally getting comfortable with how to use them. Somehow Viva Emptiness ended up like a direct answer to the last album—we went back to a more metallic riff driven song approach, but at the same time we put more diversity into the material than before. Unfortunately, so many compromises went down in the making of Viva Emptiness that it’s inferior in terms of production values and I’d love to have it remixed one day.
Viva Emptiness (2003) :: Mudvayne’s L.D. 50
The only “nu-metal” band I ever appreciated I guess. Hilarious/bizarre looking characters that would normally make me go “no please!” did something cool and for some reason I ended up listening to this album a lot and loved it because it gave me most of all energy and I guess the whole detuned new school production approach on metal also rubbed off on me to a certain level. I embraced the parts I liked and left the rest to rot as it wasn’t all consistent.
The Great Cold Distance (2006) :: Tool’s Lateralus
You either get it or you don’t!
The Great Cold Distance (2006) :: Porcupine Tree’s In Absentia
Since I discovered Porcupine Tree back in 1996, I’ve always looked forward to every time they’ve released a new album. They became very influential over the years for us, leading the way for beautiful music and not afraid of jamming their way through the most mellow sounds of pop to intense and heavy prog.
Night Is The New Day (2009) :: Porcupine Tree’s Fear Of A Blank Planet
Just loved it!
Night Is The New Day (2009) :: Sun Kil Moon’s April
Mark Kozelek, the main man and singer-songwriter behind Red House Painters, made a fantastic return to the style we were so used to being comforted by in the ’90s. Amazing album with the focus on guitars, vocals and lyrics.
Dead End Kings (2012) :: Rebekka Karijord’s The Noble Art Of Letting Go
Fantastic discovery through another Norwegian singer songwriter called Ane Brun, whom I love just as much. The most meaningful release that year that inspired me back to creativity and inner search.
Dead End Kings (2012) :: Sun Kil Moon’s Admiral Fell Promises
Kozelek returned with another album just in time for another Red House fix. Soothing for all senses and prescribed to work for another two years! The singer-songwriter influence on Katatonia has never been stronger.
*Pick up a copy of Dead End Kings here and catch the band on tour alongside Paradise Lost and the Devin Townsend Project:
September 4, Studio 7, Seattle, WA
September 5, Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, Canada
September 7, Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
September 8, El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
September 9, Marquee Theatre, Tempe, AZ
September 11, The Studio at Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
September 12, Trees, Dallas, TX
September 13, Granada, Lawrence, KS
September 14, The Summit Music Hall, Denver, CO
September 16, Station 4, Minneapolis, MN
September 17, Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL
September 18, Mr. Smalls Theatre, Millvale, PA
September 19, The Opera House, Toronto, Canada
September 20, Café Campus, Montreal, Canada
September 21, Palladium Downstairs, Worcester, MA
September 22, Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
September 23, Irving Plaza, New York, NY
September 24, Rams Head Live!, Baltimore, MD
**Photo: Linus Pettersson
**We update one Spotify playlist for each new Decibrity entry, so feel free to subscribe to that here. Past entries include:
“Best of” Rush (Part 1) (Part 2)
Dawnbringer
Ufomammut
Shadows Fall
Horseback
Greg Mackintosh (Paradise Lost) (Part 1) (Part 2)
Torche
“Best of” Meshuggah
Astra
Pallbearer
Barren Earth
Shane Embury (Napalm Death) (Part 1) (Part 2)
