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| | Dance of December Souls | | | Music Artist : | | Katatonia | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | Century Media | | Release Date : | | 2002-08-20 | | Store Price : | | $9.99 | | Artistopia's Price: $9.99 | | Usually ships in 4 to 6 weeks | | |
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CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. Seven Dreaming Souls (Intro)
2. Gateways Of Bereavement
3. In Silence Enshrined
4. Without God
5. Elohim Meth
6. Velvet Thorns (Of Drynwhyl)
7. Tomb Of Insomnia
8. Dancing December
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Other Artist Albums
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Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
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 beautiful and chilling
Submitted on: 2007-03-04 |
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| Dance of December Souls is one of my favorite albums of all time - [and I don't usually listen to death metal if that's what this is considered] - it is an album of pure despair - Jonas Renske has an amazing scream - amazingly expressive, desperate, and tortured [he has a very pretty singing voice too although he doesn't really sing on this album] - the incredibly intense vocals are complemented perfectly by the soft, melodic guitar, giving it a very unique sound. It consists of five long vocal songs that are balanced by three short instrumental pieces, helping to create an introspective mood. It is the perfect album to listen to late at night when you can't fall asleep, although it is lulling enough to fall asleep to as well if you can. It is an album you can become completely absorbed in, completely lost, a beautiful and chilling masterpiece - amazing. |
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A wonderful doom / death experience.
Submitted on: 2006-06-28 |
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Katatonia's debut full-length album takes off where their earlier EP "Jhva Elohim Meth... the Revival" ended. With a similar sound (yet superior production) and song structures, this is doom / death metal in its earliest form. Everything that impressed about the EP was expanded upon with "Dance of December Souls". 8 tracks of utterly desperate, tortured despair that is both morbidly crushing and exquisitely beautiful at the same time.
Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride can be heard in early Katatonia, and yet they most definitely captured their own sound. Lord J. Renkse's vocals are somewhere in between the black metal style and the more guttural death metal growl. He manages to sound both formidable and yet very human and vulnerable at the same time. But it's the keyboard and guitar work of Blackheim that make these early releases so special. His constantly stirring riffs and melodies are simply stunning and his atmosphere accumulating yet fairly uncomplicated keyboards are no less genius. Highlights for me are the two 13 minute tracks ("Velvet Thorns (of Drynwhyl)" and "Tomb of Insomnia") which give the band enough space to branch out creatively while holding to common themes.
While I find "Dance of December Souls" to be a wonderful album, it does not reach the heights that "Brave Murder Days" would do just a couple of years later. It is also worth mentioning that fans of the modern day Katatonia, being anything from 1998's "Discouraged Ones" onwards, may not find this to their liking as it's a far heavier, rawer form of metal. That's not to say you shouldn't check it out, as all the common Katatonia ingredients are in place, just cooked at a somewhat more extreme temperature. I personally have remained a fan from the very beginning right through to today, even though the band have dramatically transformed during that time.
If you like doom / death metal such as the bands mentioned earlier then this album is a highly recommended purchase. |
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 Well this album is good, but I have some problems.
Submitted on: 2004-06-26 |
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I like Katatonia, and I have a lot of respect for the music they created and create now. My first album that I bought of theirs was "Tonight's Decision" and I was overall very pleased. Now I am searching for "Last Fair Deal Gone Down". However, I saw this in a record store and I couldn't just let it sit there unnoticed. I bought it, popped it into my cd player and listened for what was about to come. Now I knew that this was completely different from the newer albums, so I was prepared for what I was going to hear. Overall, I am not displeased. Although this has taken me a great deal of time to get used to it.
My first complaint, these songs are far too slow! I know this record is supposed to sound very gloomy and like doom metal, and it definitely does. But I wish they could have made these songs faster. It seems like it's ten minutes of slow guitars, a growling vocalist that sounds on the verge of tears(I do find that neat how well it fits the albums atmosphere)and percussion that sounds as easy as 1,2,3. Now believe me, these guys are great musicians, and I suppose the drumming and the guitars are ment to be. I guess i'm just not into this whole genre yet.
My second complaint are the lyrics to "Without God". Yes, I am christian, and yes, I do listen to all the types of metal. I'm sure god is up there shaking his head at me right now, but i'll recover in the long run. Anyway, I do not want to sound like a holy roller at all, but these lyrics are just stupid, pointless, and kind of offensive. And I know many of you are going to think well if it doesn't work for you, don't listen to it, and shut up. It works, the music is great, but these lyrics I could do without. Anyway, on to the album. My favorite songs are "Without God"(Except for the lyrics), "Velvet Thorns...", and "Dancing December". On "Dancing December" must be some of the most beautiful guitar and some of the weirdest ever. I love the riff with the echo laden onto it. I'd say buy this album, try something new. If you don't like slow music, and depressing vocals, do not buy this. I am pleased, for the most part. But please do not let my review stop you from buying this album, it is a great piece of music, just not my exact type. |
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A Very Good Doom / Black Metal Record
Submitted on: 2003-04-30 |
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| Katatonia has always been about creating some of the most depressing and thought provoking music released, but unlike their modern stance - which is in the same genre as early Mogwai and Anathema - their earlier years were full of head on black metal magic with a strong and palpable doom sound. 'Dance of December Souls' is a landmark release for this genre, some how defining it. The aggressive growl present on this album is excellent, one of my personal favorites, also the death growl that accompanies several of the tracks is great as well - I personally wish that the singer did not depart from Katatonia. The guitars seem to be there to only texture the songs, it goes from your simple every-day riffs to a completely unexpected array of complexities. Probably the defining sound on this album comes from the bass. It seems to wrap around your body while listening to the album in its entirety, seemingly strangling you while at the same time comforting you. The songs are all incredebly heartfelt and wholy depressing, but always seem to get you to head bang and think at the same time. Granted, the lyrics are not close to as great as they are now, even at some points cheesey, but I personally think that they match perfectly with the record. The standout tracks are "Dancing December" and "Without God" (my personal favorite). 'Dance of December Souls' is easily Katatonia's best work right behind 'Last Fair Deal Gone Down', a classic and a must listen to fans of doom. |
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Excellent
Submitted on: 2003-03-13 |
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| I finally was able to get my hands on this cd and I must say it's one great album and I love their sound which is literarily unpresent on their later efforts. They deffinately achieved a lot with December Souls but at the same time, I was a little disappointed as it's not as doomy and dark as their "elohim meth" mcd which came before "dance" album. Some of the songs on that mcd don't even appear here that's why i'd rather give it four and 1/2 stars if that was an option. This is easily their best full length album. Later works are not that striking. |
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