ALBUM REVIEW: Mnemosynean – Katatonia

Swedish goth-tinged metallers KATATONIA may have started life as a death/doom outfit, but they’ve evolved far beyond their roots across their 30-year career. To celebrate reaching such a huge milestone, the band are releasing a collection of B-sides, rarities and remixes under the moniker Mnemosynean, a two-disc sprawling compendium that encompasses their entire career. Collating non-album songs, including those from their various EPs, special edition bonuses, cover songs and the aforementioned collaborative remixes, it’s a true collector’s gem. 

From the soft opening of Vakaren it’s immediately clear this is KATATONIA with its gentle but emotional swell that continues through into Sistere. The quiet doesn’t last, but the emotional turmoil does; Wide Awake In Quietus has yearning guitar leads, often with a considerably faster pace than what precedes it. Their sleek, depressive rock streak is fully on display on songs such as this, as well as Night Comes Down. Second introduces symphonic elements in melancholic strings, slowing down the pace once more to lend a gothic, doomy feel. It’s here that the band are most in their element, with the doom and gloom interspersed with rockier numbers, all shot through with Jonas Renkse’s instantly recognisable croon and the melodic, yearning guitar work. 

The first disc of Mnemosynean largely sticks to this familiar territory, with the odd exception such as the opening Vakaren and Sistere, as well as The Act Of Darkening, that shows them in a more subdued light. Ashen delves further into metallic realms, gothic doom riffs crashing down and vocals occasionally skewing towards nearly-spoken territory. Displaced is a late highlight, occupying similar metallic pastures as Ashen though with a towering, earworm guitar lead. 

The second disc is far more eclectic and, unfortunately, far more taxing. At 12 songs, Disc One was already lengthy but manageable; a second side, at 15 tracks long, feels overly indulgent especially given the final five are remixes. The good though; Wait Outside has a guitar line that snarls with barely-restrained fury in its opening moments and has the requisite soaring chorus. Sulfur opens slow but expands into gothic splendour, keys and guitar swirling round each other. March 4 has all the right attitude but none of the spark and repetitive drumming that fast becomes wearing. 

Despite some pacing and quality issues, Disc Two is more hit than miss until its final moments; the final five songs are all various collaborative remixes and frankly, they’re an indulgence. Were this a more typical album release of new material, these would feel like unessential bonus tracks, entirely skippable. Here, however, they’ve been picked to showcase a different side of the band, but bar My Twin (Opium Dub Version) that chops up guitars for a stop-start rhythm in part, they’re simply not very interesting. 

It’s difficult to know what to make of Mnemosynean. A band of KATATONIA’s pedigree and longevity are worth celebrating and, for the most part, Mnemosynean achieves that. But spreading across two discs with some serious peaks and troughs, along with a protracted trough to close, moves this squarely into collectors only territory. 

Rating: 6/10

Mnemosynean is set for release on October 1st via Peaceville Records.

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