Katatonia is one of the few metal bands that isn’t afraid to blend different music genres and bring us a new and enchanting formula.
With metal, rock, shoegaze the Stockholm quintet brought us their 14th studio album with more melodic songs and emotional sounds. We had the opportunity to speak with the newcomer bandmate Nico Elgstrand to learn the secret recipe behind “Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State”, future projects and how was his transition process from a full death metal such as Entombed to Katatonia’s bleak realm.
M.I. - Hope you’re well! What have you been up to lately?
I’m good. You said you are from Porto, a friend of mine just returned from Lisbon, and he really loves Portugal. He lives there, and he enjoys sardines and the famous custard tarts.
M.I. - With 14 studio albums, Katatonia's sound changed quite a lot from death/ doom to goth, shoegaze and prog rock. In the future, can we expect any homage to the older albums with a few reissues?
There is no concrete evidence about that. I’m not going to say that it’s not going to happen, it’s a nice idea. However, as it is right now, we wish to take the band’s sound further to a new level.
I believe it’s pretty cool the band has been going through many changes, the formula isn’t set or defined. I know the new album sounds very different, and everyone is going to blame me or Sebastian, because we are the new guys. I really love the surprise effect, not knowing what you should expect, but as you mentioned, I wouldn’t be against going back to the past and making something new.
The other guys like Jonas have been in the band so long and they are more interested in doing new stuff, rather than digging up the past. We will see, anything is possible. We’re getting older, and once you get older you tend to get more sentimental.
M.I. - What can we expect of the Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State compared with Sky Void of Stars or City Burials?
The arrangements are different, as well as the songs which are not so direct. At least for me it takes a couple of minutes to understand it, and that’s what makes albums sticking for a longer time.
A very cool album. If I end up listening to a few times, I usually end up listening to a thousand times. Hopefully, that’s the feeling that I have about this new one. It’s a little bit more out there, very melancholic, which is, of course, the Katatonia signal; a very dark bad dream and quite beautiful on the other hand. I guess we really pulled this one off. There is not an album like this out there now.
M.I. - It’s quite a title for an album. Can you explain who came up with this idea and why?
It is quite the title as you said, and for a few people it feels like a tongue twister. I don’t have the habit of trying to explain art or poetry, even though it connects very well with the material.
It has got that feeling when you are in a feverish state, when you are half awake and in a half dreaming state. A lot of the songs have that kind of semi-dreamy aspect, and it was up to Jonas who came up with the idea. It doesn’t make any fucking sense, but it’s beautiful. It’s a title that taunts and provokes the listeners. In short answer, there’s no actual meaning that cannot be explained, and that’s the whole point. Every person has its own different interpretation, similar to a The Dark Side of the Moon with something else.
M.I. - Katatonia’s sound is like Port Wine – aging finely – and the song “Temporal” is the final product of a band that isn’t afraid to show their potential and never stagnates.
Totally! Those are very kind words, and I completely agree with you, even though I’m a newcomer.
I feel really blessed to be performing in Katatonia. This is band that is allowed to go to places and people will follow. Nothing wrong with other heavy metals, for instance I love AC/DC, but they changed their recipe a bit. In our case, we are all happy playing, and we’re also allowed to fuck things up a little bit.
M.I. - A lot of fans mentioned that birds were replaced by a deer in the artwork cover. Any particular reason?
Again, it’s up to people to speculate. I could give you an answer, but I think it’s funnier and interesting if I don’t, because at the end of the day it’s up to you to perceive it.
It’s interesting to connect the artwork with the title and you’re either 100% correct wrong. If nothing fits, it’s also alright.
M.I. - A year with a few new band members, including you and Sebastian Svalland. Coming from Entombed how was the adaptation process into a different band?
It was tough (in a good way)! When COVID-19 was over, Jonas called us to learn a few songs. We were doing a whole gig in Hobart (Australia), and we had to learn 25 new songs and travel 5 days. In normal circumstances, I would say that was madness, but since we came out of a worldwide pandemic, I was ready to start working.
Me and Sebastian, we knew each other before, but it was really a nice chance to hangout. I would say it was intimidating and challenging, because with Entombed it’s fully death metal, but with Katatonia you need to bring a calculator. However, I always loved this kind of music. At the end of the day, you spend endless hours with your bandmates, and that’s the ultimate challenge. Even though nowadays I understand Katatonia’s formula, it’s always challenging.
M.I. - The last time Katatonia were in Portugal was at Evil Live 2024. What about upcoming shows and concerts here?
I’m not sure about the schedule, but I have to take a look. If we go to Spain, we must go to Portugal. Yet, the schedule is not completely set, but if we don’t go to Portugal I will be pissed off! We always want to go south of Europe and taste some good fish and vinho verde, and avoid the Scandinavian darkness and cold.
M.I. - What is your favorite Katatonia’s album and why?
Currently, the album that I have been listening to the most is Sky Void of Stars. I believe it’s a phenomenal album. I played three or four songs from the album, and I missed the rest of it. Great Cold Distance is also not that bad, but Sky Void of Stars is my favorite. If you ask me that question a month later, probably it will be a different answer.
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Questions by André Neves
