NIGHTMARES AS EXTENSIONS OF THE WAKING STATE

I went into Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State with high hopes. I wanted to like it. Katatonia has been part of my personal soundtrack for years, and I've followed their evolution with both patience and genuine enthusiasm. But this album... this album left me cold. And not in that good, melancholic way the band used to nail — more like something broke, or worse, something was done just to check a box.

From the start, it seemed like things were going well. The first two songs work and manage to catch some attention, with a couple of promising riffs and dense atmospheres. But then the album falls into a deep slump it never recovers from. The pacing becomes overly solemn, almost lethargic, and the vocal melodies — super recycled and predictable — only highlight that feeling of repetition. I hate to say it, but I had to stop listening twice because I just couldn't get through it. I literally started falling asleep.

The production is solid, that much is true. The album sounds professional, with a restrained but competent drum performance, and some guitar details that seem like they're about to take off — but never really do. There are ideas that could've been developed, but they stay as rough sketches. It all gives the impression that the album was made to meet a deadline, more than out of any real creative need. Like with Anders leaving and the new guitarists stepping in, they're still figuring things out, playing it safe.

Interestingly, the one track that pulled me out of the haze was the one sung in Swedish. Very atmospheric, almost ethereal, but it feels disconnected from the rest — like it belongs on a different record. There's some quality there, but it doesn't really land emotionally.

All in all, Nightmares as Extensions... isn't a bad album, but it's definitely not a memorable one. It adds nothing new to their discography, and doesn't feel like a step forward. If anything, it feels like a half-hearted pause. I truly hope the next release is more ambitious, more daring, and brings back the spark that once made Katatonia such an essential band.

Music: ★★★

Lyrics: ★★★

Execution: ★★★★

Emotion: ★★

Production: ★★★★

Artwork: ★★

Average: ★★★

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