This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Katatonia guitarist Anders Nyström said in a recent interview that even though the Swedish metal stalwarts have been touring the world without incident for a quarter-century now, President Donald Trump's controversial immigration policies have had the trickle-down effect of making it more difficult for even him and his bandmates to enter the United States these days.
"Before we got the visas and everything, I definitely saw a big, big change in the attitude at the U.S. Embassy. … It was a little bit more aggressive in general — getting questioned by, once you enter the country and everything like that, the officers and the border patrol — a little bit more aggro in general," Nyström said. "We have nothing to hide, we're just a couple of Vikings from Sweden who wanna tour in America!"
This Monday, The Complex in Salt Lake City takes its turn standing in for Valhalla.
Nyström and company couldn't be more pleased. Truly. Katatonia are happy they were allowed stateside, happy to be touring again, happy the new additions to the band not only fit in seamlessly but bolstered the group's capabilities, and happy that their latest album, "The Fall of Hearts," turned out just as they envisioned.
Actually, that's an awful lot of happiness for a band whose hallmark is somber, melancholic and outright depressing music.
It honestly must be difficult having been that downcast for that long.
"Oh, it's just what speaks to us. It's just what goes straight into the heart. We haven't really been analyzing it more than that. You enjoy what you enjoy, and if that feels natural to you, then that is what you should be doing," Nyström said. "The whole kind of dark side of life really fulfills something when you put it in a musical context. I wouldn't say it reflects our personal or private lives in the same way, because I don't think it's possible for any human to go through 25 years of absolute darkness. So it's just a side of us, and … we just kind of let it all out in the band."
Nyström said Katatonia likewise held nothing back in the recording of "The Fall of Hearts."
The album took a decidedly more progressive turn than its predecessors, with songs and therefore the record itself winding up longer than anything the band had done previously, and the soundscape undergoing a stylistic shift reflective of the band's two new members.
Drummer Daniel Moilanen, whom the band specifically targeted, proved their first skinsman technically capable of handling any beat they threw at him. And though guitarist Roger Öjersson didn't even come on board until the mixing process was already in progress, his soloing skills prompted Nyström to suggest they re-record some parts with Öjersson playing instead.
"I think we tried to push it as far as we could, musically, on this album. Obviously, we have new members on board this time around, so we could definitely take advantage of their musical skills. That kind of allowed us to go a little bit further than maybe we've been known for on the past few albums," Nyström said. "On this album, there was never a compromise of any one of us holding back, because the musicianship on board allowed us to fulfill the vision. … It can be quite heartbreaking if you've made a song that you consider might be your next masterpiece and you have to start picking it apart because some of the performances might be proven too difficult to perform physically."
Still, while "The Fall of Hearts" may represent a new direction for Katatonia, Nyström said the band didn't want to go off the map altogether. The goal was to strike the right balance between fresh and familiar.
"You don't want to head off too far into another territory where people wouldn't recognize your sound anymore," he said. "The ideal situation for me would be like, if someone turns on the new album, in the matter of a few seconds they would realize it's Katatonia just by the sound of things, but hopefully they will, after a minute or two, feel like, 'Whoa, this was not what I was expecting.' "
Katatonia will continue trying to change expectations — throughout the world and perhaps even at home.
After all, if they can win over a few more of their own countrymen, that might just mean having to deal with a few less "aggro" border patrol officers.
"A lot of bands in Sweden that are considered to be our musical exports are in the metal genre. A lot of people haven't realized that's the case, because in Sweden, it hasn't been that big. … It's been, pretty much, just the last couple of years that people actually realize how big of a deal these artists are outside of our borders, doing well in America and Europe," Nyström said. "So it's kind of a bizarre situation, not being treated the same in your home country. It's a weird scenario that we have to deal with. But it's picking up, it's getting better now, people are getting prouder of when they realize how well some bands do there. … It's not all about ABBA or Ace of Base."
Twitter: @esotericwalden —
With Caspian, Uncured
When • Monday, doors at 7 p.m.
Where • The Complex, 536 W. 100 South, Salt Lake City
Tickets • $20 advance, $25 day of; Smith's Tix