A Doomy Night With Katatonia and Alcest

Following the release of their sumptuous ninth album, Dead End Kings, the Swedish doom metal quintet Katatonia returned to London, for another evening of great music and melancholia. This time they were accompanied by the French shoe-gazing concept band Alcest and an American rock band, called Junius. As a fan of both Katatonia and Alcest my expectations for this show were high and, of course, I definitely was not disappointed.

I was rather impressed by Junius; their sound was intellectual, emotional and as described by Rolling Stone as “a perfect hybrid of Neurosis and The Smiths.” What could be a more appropriate choice to set the dispirited tone of the evening? Their music had power and was easy to listen to, but I felt their songs lacked variety; each one remaining too faithful to the same ‘slow and bleak’ formula. Having said this, I thought that ‘Betray The Grave’ was a great song (and it has a stunning music video). Unfortunately, Joseph Martinez’s vocals lacked clarity as they were being overwhelmed by the guitars and drums (a problem also experienced later by Alcest).

Next up were the dreamy Frenchmen. Alcest never fail to create an atmosphere of pure calmness and tranquillity, which could be felt as soon as they started playing the enchanting song ‘Autre Temps’. I was disappointed at how short their set was, but at least this was made up for by the setlist, which was mainly composed of songs from their most recent album Les Voyages De L’Âme. This glorious masterpiece, released in January 2012, is the most concept abiding-offering out of all their albums; portraying the ‘fairy land’ of the warped childhood memories of vocalist, Neige. I am delighted to discover that not only are Alcest working on their fourth album, but this will feature the stunning voice of Billie Lindahl, of Swedish band Promise And The Monster, who I also highly recommend.

Finally, Katatonia took to the stage, opening with ‘The Parting’ from Dead End Kings. This chilling song was perfectly complemented by the icy-white backdrop, adorned with flocks of black birds taken from the album artwork. I was surprised at how many songs from this new album they played, yet from what I could tell, that was a great decision, as it seemed to be well-received by the crowd. Along with their new work, they performed a varied selection from their back catalogue. And, of course, no Katatonia set would be complete without those predictable classics ‘My Twin’ and ‘July’. For me, the highlight of the setlist was ‘Omerta’ from Viva Emptiness. This song is made beautiful by its simplicity, but the lyrics are weighted by a sense of foreboding darkness, as the omerta has been broken. The song suddenly ends to depict an untimely death.

Jonas Renkse’s voice sounded as strong and clear live as it does on record, which is impressive considering that he has suffered from severe vocal issues in the past. The music was tight and it’s always great to see guitarists, Anders Nyström and Per Eriksson, running around manically. Unfortunately, Jonas was not blessed with charisma. I would love to see him interacting with the audience more, instead of shyly hiding behind his limp, black hair.

It seems like a rare experience to enjoy the entire line-up of a gig; I’ve become so used to being subjected to terrible support acts. From start to finish, however, this show was incredible. It was such a privilege to witness three great bands, who have the ability to move an audience with their beautiful music. And now I’m very intrigued and excited to see what they do next!