Katatonia vocalist and guitarist Jonas Renkse says studio sessions for latest album The Fall Of Hearts were some of the smoothest the band have ever experienced.
The follow-up to 2012’s Dead End Kings launched earlier this month – and Renkse credits new members guitarist Roger Ojersson and drummer Daniel ‘Mojjo’ Moilanen for helping in the recording process.
He tells Metal Underground: “It was the first album to feature our new drummer Daniel Moilanen. This recording was actually one of the smoothest we have had so far. The vision was strong and we all worked hard to reach the goal that we had set up for ourselves.
“Lyrically my aim is always to make them go hand in hand with the music, so every song needs to be as complete as possible before I finalise the lyrics – but it’s pretty much the same topics I have always used: contrasts, darkness, the inner struggle that we all can relate to from time to time.
“I want to portray them in sometimes a beautiful way, and sometimes a more haunting, unsettling kind of way. Sometimes a mix of the two.”
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The band parted ways with guitarist Per ‘Sodo’ Eriksson in 2014, bringing in Ojersson – a move Renkse and the band say is going well.
Renkse adds: “Eriksson moved to Spain which made it difficult to rehearse. We have had a stand-in guy for almost two years but were always looking for a permanent replacement. Feels good to have Roger on board.”
Katatonia will head out on the road from next month in support of their latest album.
Katatonia 2016 tour dates
Jun 19: Clisson Hellfest, France
Jul 03: Helsinki Tuska Festival, Finland
Jul 9-10: Bouckenborgh Anterwerp Metal Festival, Belgium
Jul 29: Sibiu ARTmania Festival, Romania
Aug 05: Corroios Vagos Open Air Festival, Portugal
Aug 17-20: Dinkelsbuhl Summer Breeze Festival, Germany
Aug 28: Mexico City Circo Volador, Mexico
Aug 31: Santiago Teatro Cariola, Chile
Sep 02: Buenos Aires Uniclub, Argentina
Sep 04: Sao Paulo Overload Music Fest, Brazil
Sep 22: Polvdiv, Roman Theatre, Bulgaria
Oct 01: Tilburg Epic Metal Fest, Netherlands
Oct 21: London O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, UK