SAW YOU DROWN

"Saw You Drown" is an EP release by Swedish metal act Katatonia. The EP was released through Avantgarde Music in January 1998 and precedes the release of the full-length studio album "Discouraged Ones" which was released in April 1998. The two releases share the two tracks "Saw You Drown" and "Nerve". In addition to those two mentioned tracks, the "Saw You Drown" EP features two tracks in "Quiet World" and "Scarlet Heavens", which at the time of it´s release were exclusive to this EP. The two tracks have since become available as bonus tracks on reissues of "Discouraged Ones" and on the "Brave Yester Days (2004)" compilation. The "Saw You Drown" EP is today a rare find as the EP upon release was limited to 1500 hand-numbered copies on CD and 1000 hand-numbered copies on vinyl. It hasn´t been re-released in this form since.

The years 1997 - 1999 was a transition period for Katatonia, who on their first two albums, "Dance of December Souls (1993)" and Brave "Murder Day (1996)", had played doom/death metal with predominantly growling vocals. This EP exclusively features clean vocals and was probably quite the surprise for most fans of the band. The music has taken on a depressive goth rock sound too, while still retaining a heavy doomy element. "Scarlet Heavens" is a full on goth rock track though, comparable to the style of acts like The Sisters of Mercy and Fields of the Nephilim. To my surprise "Scarlet Heavens" was recorded as early as 1994. The remaining three tracks were recorded in 1997 and share a more similar sound. Both "Saw You Drown" and "Nerve" are quality tracks but as usual with Katatonia, their B-sides or EP only tracks are more than worth a listen too and "Quiet World" is no exception. There´s a slight progressive twist to the track which also features a dark and mysterious Twin Peaks type atmosphere. Jonas Renkse´s vocals are subdued (except on "Scarlet Heavens" where he takes on an Andrew Eldritch goth rock croon), sad, and delivered with the right amount of emotionless shoegazing to fit the depressive mood of the music. He would develop his vocal techniques and skills a lot on subsequent album releases, and at times his performance here appears a bit immature, but still greatly enjoyable to my ears.

In it´s original form "Saw You Drown" is definitely a worthy purchase, but if you already have the reissue of "Discouraged Ones", which features all four tracks from the EP, "Saw You Drown" does become more of a collector´s item. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is warranted.