Katatonia

Consistency seems to be one of the hardest things to achieve album in and album out. While a lot of bands tend to not change their sound dramatically from one release to the next, often times a certain amount of energy is either lost or gained, changing the outcome dramatically. Only the very best bands have the ability to retain a certain amount of composure over an entire career. Katatonia is one such band. Finding themselves on a new label, these Swedes have released another in a long line of excellent albums in Tonight’s Decision. Eleven tracks in total, Blackheim and co. travel down the same road as their past two releases. Sounding somewhere between early Slowdive, the Cure and My Dying Bride, the band have their own take on incorporating shoe-gazing elements into metal and do so in convincing fashion. Dark and gloomy, their sound would also wear well with the goths — it’s a disappointment-free listen.