Let's talk about Katatonia, shall we?

It's all I can talk about. We might be looking at album of the year candidate...A career best with their new darkened opus, Night Is The New Day. Released last week around the world and this past Tuesday here in the States, this 48 minute haunting epic masterpiece is another in the fine line of jaw-dropping albums by the most underrated band on the planet. I said it in my update yesterday and I meant it. The fact that Katatonia isn't as big as Opeth, Porcupine Tree or even Tool, is criminal. Recognize.

"Forsaker" kicks off this motherfucker, bringing the listener in with sweeping harmonies by vocalist Jonas Renske, then crushing skulls with some of their heaviest riffing to date. Other highlights include the rest of the album. I know, a shitty review but it's the truth. No weak spots, no filler, no fat. This record is lean and hungry...The only other band in their space that seems to have drive like this is Paradise Lost. Ther new LP is amazing as well...A post for another day I suppose.

Bottom line: Pick this record up and support a band that will truly hit on your every emotion and work their way into "favorite band territory" in no time. If you're not a fan yet, work backwards. Their early material is killer melo-doom-death (w/a certain someone from Opeth on vocals) and is quite different from where they've been heading from 1997's Discouraged Ones and on.

I tagged their new video on the last post, so check some of this out...

Night Is The New Day is in stores now. Why are you not in one buying it this very second?

"Cold Ways" (live):

"Deadhouse" (live):

Progressive Nation 2009 = Shitstorm

Mike Portnoy is an awesome drummer and up until last year, a killer tour organizer. The first annual Progressive Nation tour featured Dream Theater, Opeth, Between The Buried and Me and Three...I know, so good it barely made sense. So myself and a horde of fans around the country were eagerly awaiting this year's lineup. Could they add Meshuggah? The reunited Cynic (a band DT owes a a lot to)? Porcupine Tree? Katatonia? Shit, they really have their pick of the litter when it comes down to it.

Syncopated drum roll please (terrible drummer joke, I'm well aware)...Progressive Nation 2009 will be Dream Theater, Zappa Plays Zappa, Pain of Salvation and Beardfish. What and who the fuck are all these guys? I'm well aware that ZPZ is Dweezil playing his Dad's tunes. Fine. Pain of Salvation and Beardfish are nerd prog bands from Sweden. Jesus this sucks. No Dillinger Escape Plan. No Spylacopa. No Protest The Hero. No Redemption. No Fates Warning. No Battles. No nothing.

I am eagerly awating the tenth Dream Theater LP, which was completed in October and comes out later this year, but this abomination is some serious bullshit.

"Wait For Sleep" Live:
"The Mirror" Live 2004:

Fancy Friday

On this fancy holiday weekend, I've been going over a lot of Dream Theater and Porcupine Tree in my head for some reason, but far fancier than both are PT's Steven Wilson's side project, Blackfield. I was one of the lucky few who braved the worst snow storm of 2007 with a good friend of mine, marching through this shit in the bowels of NYC (ok, the Bowery, but that's not far off) to witness a very rare Blackfield stateside performance. Not only was it worth it, it was oneof the best shows I've ever been to. Period.

Blackfield is Steven Wilson (PT, No-Man, Bass Communion, etc) and Aviv Geffen (huge Israeli pop star, awesome glittered eyeliner man-thing). They have the beauty of the sweetest parts of Porcupine Tree, mixed with a lush 60's pop sensibility. Every single song is instantly stuck in your head and they don't leave so easily. Their title/band name track "Blackfield" has been stuck in my dome for over 4 years now. I hum the fucking thing to myself at least 4-5 times a week.

The cameras were on for this show last February and later released as a DVD (the music files are floating around somewhere). Made the whole trek worth while: Got a killer show, got it on DVD and got my mind blown by a band that tours less than Jack Johnson.

Be fancy this weekend.

"Blackfield" (live from the Bowery Ballroom, Feb 07):
"Cloudy Now" (same show):