My first encounter with the Swedish metal band Katatonia came earlier this year with their most recent release, The Great Cold Distance. The music reminded me a little bit of Opeth, a little bit of Tool -- there were mellow moments, and there were aggressive moments. I enjoyed the album thoroughly, but wasn't really sure where to go next in my journey through Katatonia's discography. I'd heard that the band's earlier days were a far cry from the moody, melancholic music they make today, but I didn't know the extent of which that was true. See, the oldest material was moody and melancholic; it was just 1,000 times heavier and much, much more depressing than I would have dared to expect.

Brave Yester Days is a 2-disc collection of songs from various Katatonia EPs that are, for the most part, out-of-print or extremely rare now. It highlights their "doom-metal" music from the years 1992 to 1997, in which Katatonia vocalist Jonas Renkse used a chilling roar much different from the mellow tones he works with these days. The lyrics to these songs deal primarily with longing for death, dying, and any and all subjects related to the cessation of life. Make no mistake, though: by no means is this cheesy pseudo-gothic music. This stuff is very poignant, well-written, meaningful and authentically dark. That said, those who tend to steer clear of music that's more than a hop, skip and jump away from 'happy' should NOT be looking into Brave Yester Days.

Disc 1 of Brave Yester Days starts off with songs from the band's Jhva Elohim Meth EP. "Midwinter Gates (Prologue)" is a beautiful 44-second instrumental that is soothing yet eerie, with a soft, acoustic guitar leading right into the first 'real' song, "Without God". Launching off with a piercing roar from Renkse, "Without God" goes through numerous changes in tempo, with frequent unexpected changes from doom-paced guitars and faint keyboards to a much faster, heavier pace. The focal point, still, is undoubtedly Renkse's vocals, which are so twisted and full of agony that it's difficult not to pay attention to him.

"The Northern Silence," a song that is peculiarly brief for Katatonia (clocking in at just under four minutes), is highlighted by amazing guitar work reminiscent of early Theatre Of Tragedy. It contains some of Renkse's most piercing cries and some of the best lyrics on Brave Yester Days: "Captured within a shroud of autumn / all is silent as I depart the earth..." The calming sounds of the ocean fill "Crimson Tears (Epilogue)," a short interlude that paves way to the epic "Gateways of Bereavement," from the Dance Of December Souls sessions.

It's difficult for words to really capture the sense of mourning and grief that this song embodies -- Renkse sounds every bit like a man with absolutely no morsel of desire in him left to live, and his passionate delivery of the closing lyrics is sure to leave anyone with goosebumps: "Slow...descending from a silent sky / Death comes to take me away / and from the gateways you hear me cry... / I love you..."

A rapid drum intro begins "Funeral Wedding," a song full of brilliantly heavy, melodic guitars, insane double-bass drumming and some of Renkse's creepiest vocals yet. His screams alternate in pitch from unusually high to very low and menacing, and the contrast certainly keeps things interesting throughout the song (which is almost nine minutes in length). The awe-inspiring instrumental "Epistel" closes out Disc 1 of Brave Yester Days on the right note by pairing fuzzy, static noises with extremely distorted, animalistic shrieks from Renkse. The sudden end it comes to will leave listeners wanting more; therefore, I present you with Disc 2.

Disc 2 of Brave Yester Days begins in an interesting way. See, a few years into Katatonia's career, according to the man himself, Renkse "lost the ability to make real death metal screams". So who did he turn to for a little help on vocals for Brave Murder Day? None other than his friend and fellow Swede, Mikael Akerfeldt from Opeth. Fans of Opeth will definitely be into this material, as they will find it's very similar to Opeth's music.

From the first listen to "Murder," one can quickly conclude that Akerfeldt's voice creates a different vibe than Renkse's; whereas Renkse's scream was always slow and contemplative, Akerfeldt's is more confident and commanding from the first moment. Loud, deep and versatile, Akerfeldt's "Murder" growl is unmistakable and is perfectly accentuated by the dueling guitars, which seem a bit more sophisticated in their arrangements this time around. "Rainroom" does away with the concept of long, slow-building introductions and jets off instantly with Akerfeldt's powerful growls. There are some very melodic guitar breaks in this song that create a beauty, tending to create a unique balance for the harshness and brutality of this music.

Also featured on Disc 2 are songs from Katatonia's highly praised Saw You Drown EP. In this EP, Renkse used only "clean" vocals -- no screams or growls, just gorgeous, calming singing. It turns out he's very talented at doing both, but this newer sound will obviously appeal to a larger variety of people. "Nerve" embraces a new type of complexity in the guitars, as Renkse serves up a devastatingly amazing vocal performance. His calming, multilayered vocals truly stun me here. It almost sounds like he's sobbing while singing -- no, not like the whiny emo singers that overpopulate the music scene today, but like a man honestly in grief. Hailed as a masterpiece for good reason, the Katatonia fan-favorite "Saw You Drown" pairs a stirring, gentle guitar introduction with pure, plaintive vocals from Renkse for maximum effectiveness.

Clearly, the band has changed their sound in many ways, but the sonic beauty and the versatility in their sound has remained constant. Those into extremely depressing lyrics will find many things to love about Brave Yester Days; those who prefer the cheerier side of things would be doing themselves a huge favor by staying far away. Doom/death-metal isn't a sound that tends to "appeal to the masses," so stay safe and look into this only if you're open to some really heavy stuff. Fans of (old) Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Opeth and Anathema will certainly adore this music. Most of all, Brave Yester Days would be a good purchase for those who have gotten into Katatonia more recently. It is a nice, conveniently packaged, affordable way for 'new' listeners to check out the 'old' Katatonia.


Great Music to Play While: Dying, mourning, grieving, planning your own funeral, etc.





Recommended: Yes