Just as the year’s first signs of t-shirt weather started to peer through our streets, Mother Nature had different plans on the night of Katatonia’s Montreal stop of their Waking State Of North America tour. Admittedly, the looming threat of our city being turned into a frozen hellscape is about as metal as you can get and likely a situation that would have made the Stockholm, Sweden natives feel right at home. Still, the potentially dangerous conditions certainly deterred a few people from showing up, but those that did make it out were treated to a metal show worth showing up for.
The evening’s first and only opening act was Rivers Of Nihil, a group I’ve heard nothing but good things about, and was excited to see perform. I was in for such a pleasant surprise. Their sound was as dynamic as they come, turning from atmospheric to heavy on the stop of a dime. Mixing classic prog with modern brutality, multiple members shared vocal duties, and absolutely crushed clean-sung harmonies and screams alike. The drummer’s machine-like precision tastefully jackhammered double kicks through otherwise open passages, which made for a contrast that worked beautifully. The polyrhythmic pulse of their songs had me stank-facing the whole way through, but the absolute cherry on top was Patty Corona’s contributions. I didn’t think I could be convinced that a reverb-soaked saxophonist is exactly what a modern metal band needs, but Rivers Of Nihil sold me on it almost instantly. I’m a sucker for horns in general, and this unlikely pairing elevated things to the stratosphere.
Katatonia is a band whose recorded works I’ve previously tried getting into, but I was hopeful their live show would better captivate me. Immediately, the sound was significantly better. The high-frequency resonance from the previous band’s cymbal thrashing was no longer ringing in my ears, and the mud cleared its way for clearer and more monstrous guitar tones. I’m not usually a fan of wide panning guitars in a live setting, but in a smaller venue like Studio TD, it worked to the band’s advantage and helped discern each band member’s contributions to the massive wall of sound. Admittedly, even so, it took me five or six songs for Katatonia to begin clicking with me. Everything before the very Tool-influenced “Dead Letters” felt clunky. I wasn’t particularly captivated by Jonas Renkse’s vocal choices either, melodic or rhythmic. Still, the band felt like more of a cohesive unit after the first third of their set. The polyrhythms had more of a headbangable pulse to them, the band’s newest members, Nico Elgstrand and Sebastian Svalland on guitars, were a lot more in sync, and Renkse’s vocals felt like they had slightly more direction. Throw in a couple of tasteful reverb-heavy snare bombs, and you’ve got a recipe for success.
Unfortunately, our photographer was among the many who sat this show out due to the weather. I didn’t think my Google Pixel 8 could even attempt to replace his good work, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention both bands’ immersive light shows. Both performances featured fixtures that washed the stage in various colours and synchronized with the complexity of the music. Katatonia’s members were mostly backlit as well, casting shadows on their faces, which, along with the “Hail Satan” chant-along in their song “Wind Of No Change,” reinforced their gothic and cult-like presence. For as much as the music shone, the visuals were no afterthought either.
Despite a turbulent set, I was finally won over in time to enjoy Katatonia’s encore. A single song, “Forsaker,” to close out the night for the appreciative majority, and passionate few. A lone crowd surf attempt made me realize how loosely packed the room was, but again, it was a metal show worth showing up for.
Review – Mathieu Perrier
