Swedish Metal greats Katatonia are a difficult band to describe. Their sublime blend of cryptic lyrics, with subdued but sorrowful vocal melodies, and polyrhythmic guitar riffs straddles the borders between progressive, alternative, and doom metal. This eclectic blend of styles was on full display throughout Katatonia’s Friday night show at Sydney’s Metro Bar – the band’s first Australian headline show in almost 10 years, launched in support of their latest album, Sky Void of Stars.
Upon arrival it became immediately clear that there would be no risk of an empty venue. Doors opened at 8pm, but a legion of fans had arrived early, milling outside the Metro, like a flock of a denim and band-t garbed congregants patiently enduring the humidity and the looming threat of inclement weather for the chance to be the first to worship at the altar of Scandinavian post-metal.
At 8:15, the first supporting act — Nordic themed Novocastrian metallers, Evocatus, kicked things off with a four-song salvo of melodic death metal. While visually taking inspiration from the likes of Ammon Amarth, Evocatus’ sound is much more aggressive, and the crowd were instantly energized. When the second supporting act — Sydney stalwarts, Flaming Wreckage – took to the stage at 9, they capitalised on the mood set by Evocatus and proved why they continue to command a loyal local following with their unique brand of thrash-infused death metal.
Flaming Wreckage finished their set at around 9:30 and a sense of almost reverential expectation descended over the crowd. As the members of Katatonia entered from the eaves to take their places on stage the crowd would cheer, and with each cheer the atmosphere of anticipation became denser and more leaden. Then, without fanfare or introduction, Katatonia launched into ‘Austerity’, bursting the proleptic bubble and sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Here, however, the only real issue of the night emerged. Katatonia frontman, Jonas Renkse’s voice is a famously understated murmur and finding the right balance between his hushed vocal delivery and guitarist Anders Nystrom’s percussive riffing is undoubtedly a difficult task. Unfortunately, this difficulty showed, and there were times when Renkse’s voice was almost lost in a chugging sonic deluge.
Nonetheless, the live sound mixing was good more often than it was bad, and at its best, Renkse was successfully able to communicate the barely suppressed existential anguish Katatonia is famous for. A standout moment was as the opening riff to ‘July’ played the crowd exhaled in collective excitement. Like Renske’s voice, their enthusiasm started off as little more than a murmur, gradually building in intensity before exploding in a raucous crescendo of cheers as the song reached its iconic climax.
After 16 songs, the band thanked Australia and bid the crowd farewell. Before they had even left the stage, the Metro Theatre erupted in cries of “one more song!”. However, the stage remained darkened, and a handful of fans-of-little faith began to slink away. The cries for an encore became more disconsolate and it seemed as though even the most committed fans began to glance disappointedly towards the exits until the band emerged once more, and it was here, during the curtain call that the night reached an apotheosis.
As if invigorated by the adulation of his audience, Renkse extended his microphone like a papal sceptre towards his congregation, inviting them to join him on his quest for catharsis. His faithful subjects were all too happy to oblige and, adding their lamentations to his own, screamed the refrain to ‘My Twin’ – “was it all for nothing!”.
And so, the concert concluded in a thunderous applause, and everyone dispersed into the urban chiaroscuro of a dark and rainy Sydney evening – a fitting backdrop to ponder Renkse’s bleak lyricism.
With thanks to Metropolis Touring & David Roy Wiliams for the media access.
