Beauty in darkness - A review of Katatonia's The Fall of Hearts

While similar in style, The Fall of Hearts is a clear step forward for Swedish depressive rock band Katatonia after the dull Dead End Kings. Even though this record oozes with somber atmosphere, the different tracks show enough creativity, diversity and emotions to entertain from start to finish. The sum is greater than its parts as the musicians' skills complement one another and make for a balanced, fluid and organic record.

The soothing vocals don't only sound dreamy and melacholic but also fresh and hopeful at times.

The guitar work has become more adventurous with progressive rock solos, classic heavy metal riffs and calm ambient tones. 

The rhythm section is overall smooth but never boring because it comes around with careful details and variations. 

The keyboards are better integrated than on the predecessor as they complement vocals and guitars atmospherically to give the record a slight cinematic and conceptual touch.

Among numerous highlights, one has to cite ambitious opener ''Takeover'' that skips any unnecessary introductions and plunges the listener headfirst into a marvelous world of melancholy. The emotional side of the track is complemented by a fluidly progressive song structure and at times heavy guitar play.

''Last Song Before the Fade'' is a gothic metal track with an intriguing story and strong lyrics that evoke an apocalyptic atmosphere that could easily be used for a film or video game adaptation of a dystopian story. The haunting sound of sirens, the desperate vocals and the reduced instrumental approach make for this album's most profound track.

''Passer'' ends the album with a bang as it is clearly the heaviest song on the record. It sounds dynamic, focused and intense right from the start and never lets go despite creative songwriting with many interesting ideas. If the band were able to write an entire record with such intensity, they might create a genuine gothic metal milestone.

Katatonia's The Fall of Hearts will appeal to fans of profound gothic rock and metal music. It sounds balanced, diverisfied and fresh and opens and closes on particularly strong notes. The mellower tracks in the middle section ooze with atmosphere but need some time to unfold. With even more concise songwriting, the Swedish veterans could take the next step and compete with younger gothic doom metal bands like Daylight Dies, Swallow the Sun and The Foreshadowing for the genre throne.

Final rating: 80%