This is almost a box set release, such is its sprawling content.
Four discs – two CDs and two DVDs – and a large booklet, are here to celebrate the Swedish band’s 20th anniversary. Filmed at Koko in London during 2011, it’s a captivating presentation of Katatonia’s skills as they play two sets. The first commemorates the 10th anniversary of their landmark album Last Fair Day Gone Night, which is played in its entirety. Not only a reminder of why this is so highly regarded by long-time fans, it’s also an opportunity for Katatonia to add an extra dimension to the flair and ingenuity of the studio original. The band don’t simply apply the recorded values of the time but instead redefine the songs, making them even more intriguing than they were in their original form. The second set takes in other compositions from their career, spanning albums like Brave Murder Day and Night Is The New Day. It all works supremely, whether visually or on audio, and the performance is concentrated and entrancing throughout. To add to the package, there’s also an extensive documentary on the band’s history, tracing this through the thoughts of Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström. A superb celebration of Katatonia.
