Review: KATATONIA at Rockhal

On the 20th of May, the Rockhal brought once again a major European band to Luxembourg, gathering for one evening fans of all ages and multiple nationalities. After some time away from the stages, the Swedish group Katatonia decided to kick off its return in the Grand Duchy and delight its audience with some of their greatest hits.

The night counted with two supporting bands, Wheel and Cellar Darling, but regretfully, due to the total length of the event, we were unable to attend the first performance. Claiming that Cellar Darling did a good job at warming up the crowd would do it no justice whatsoever. The band had the kind of stage presence and musical strength that separates a simple musical act from a soulful and engaging experience. All the artists of the group were great, but a special word of praise needs to go to drummer Merlin Sutter. While their heavy / folk metal style makes it easier for a drummer to stand out, Sutter truly acted and performed as the core of most songs, the base from which all other sounds unfolded. Music can rely on an instrument or musician to give it a conducting structure, but one still needs to have the right amount of energy and talent to stand out in a way that is more than just good and less than overwhelming. Lead singer Anna Murphy also impressed the crowd with her great vocal skills, especially during her solos, even if in one or two occasions the overall strength of the instruments ended up outshining her highest notes.

But it was Katatonia that the audience came to see, and that was made evident by just how much the crowd increased when their performance started. Lead vocalist Jonas Renkse was the only one interacting with the public, and opened the act by confessing that it had been a while since the band had performed on stage. Admitting that the artists are slightly nervous would, in any other country, get the fans to express their support even further, but not here. If you are a recurrent reader, you might have noticed how often we bring up Luxembourg's chronic apathy, so it will not come as a surprise to learn that even a progressive metal / dark rock concert failed to get the masses jumping. Two Broadway World critics, one of which was being introduced to the genre, seemed to provide far more support to the band than the vast majority of those standing.

This lack of engagement was, as you might guess, not the band's fault. Their act was just as great as anyone could expect, and it reminded us just why they have been so big for so long. Anders Nyström was a personal favourite, not just due to the amazing guitar skills but also for how much he embodied the metal style while performing. Throughout the night, the band played one of their complete albums and a song that had never before been played on stage. The encore featured multiple numbers, some of them great hits that finally got the crowd moving more than its average.

A great night that we wish to see repeated soon. Congratulations to the bands involved and our thanks to Rockhal for making it possible.

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