SKY VOID OF STARS

1. "Austerity" (3:41) cool KARNIVOOL-like song and vocal performance. (I understand how wrong this reference is since Ian Kenny and his Aussie bandmates were barely out of diapers when Katatonia launched its career but my knowledge and familiarity of Karnivool's music preceded that of my Katatonia awareness.) Excellent guitar solo in the second minute. Great choruses. A top three song for me. (8.75/10)

2. "Colossal Shade" (4:29) opens like some 1980s power metal but then enters the 21st Century with some great effects and djenty guitar play. (8.75/10)

3. "Opaline" (5:00) through the first minute of this song I feel as if I should prepare myself for some kind of Linkin Park performance pyrotechnics, but the song turns out to be far more straightforward and melodic than I expected. (9/10)

4. "Birds (4:08) great performances from the rhythm section, weak vocal. (8.667/10)

5. "Drab Moon (3:59) is this KARNIVOOL? Hearing this song begs the question: Did Mariusz Duda hear Katatonia before gathering his musical credits? before he helped form RIVERSIDE? (8.5/10)

6. "Author" (4:17) now this is more like what I like in my atmospheric metal music! (I am, after all, a attested fan of all-things djenty.) By far my favorite song on this album! I love the extreme dynamic shifts and atmospheric keys, subdued vocal performance and djenty guitar sections. (9.5/10)

7. "Impermanence" (5:12) I hear a little Cy Curnin (THE FIXX) in this vocal performance. (8.75/10)

8. "Sclera" (4:45) nice sounding but so very simple--both compositionally and vocal/melodically. (8.5/10)

9. "Atrium" (4:08) as melodic as anything Ian Kenny and his KARNIVOOL mates have done. In fact, this is almost a straight-forward rock ballad! (8.75/10)

10. "No Beacon to Illuminate Our Fall" (6:08) again, it's the dynamic range of this song that brings me in--even though some of the heavier stuff is a bit repellent. That fourth minute is spell-binding. Unfortunately, it flows into the less-than-impressive chorus section. Still, this is probably my final top three song. (8.75/10)

Total Time 45:47

I do not find this music to be nearly as dark as others have written. In fact, I find it much more melodic and uplifting--reminding me quite a little of KARNIVOOL's wonderful 2013 minor masterpiece, Asymmetry. The excellent drumming and bass contributions to this album's music are always so solid, so noticeable. I've listened to Katatonia albums before but none have grabbed hold of me as well as this one. This might help inspire me to go back into their rather extensive discography.

B+/4.5 stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.

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