Katatonia

Hailing from Sweden, Katatonia was formed back in 1987 as Melancholium, originally playing a mixture of death and doom metal with harsh vocals. After the release of "Dance of December Souls", the vocalist Jonas Renkse lost the ability to use harsh vocals due to medical problems and so the band invited Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth to record the harsh vocals on "Brave Murder Day". Jonas claimed in an interview for Mark of "The Metal Observer" that he "lost the ability to make the real Death Metal screams," so he has been forced to rely on clean to minimalistic death vocals.

Dance of December Souls (1993)
1. Seven Dreaming Souls
2. Gateways of Bereavment
3. In Silence Enshrined
4. Without God
5. Elohim Meth
6. Velvet Thorns (of Drynwhyl)
7. Tomb of Insomnia
8. Dancing December


Brave Murder Day (1996)
1. Brave
2. Murder
3. Day
4. Rainroom
5. 12
6. Endtime
7. Funeral Wedding
8. Shades of Emerald Fields
9. For Funerals to Come
10. Epistel

Discouraged Ones (1998)
1. I Break
2. Stalemate
3. Deadhouse
4. Relention
5. Cold Ways
6. Gone
7. Last Resort
8. Nerve
9. Saw You Drown
10. Instrumental
11. Distrust


The Great Cold Distance (2006)
1. Leaders
2. Deliberation
3. Soil's Song
4. My Twin
5. Consternation
6. Follower
7. Rusted
8. Increase
9. July
10. In The White
11. The Itch
12. Journey Through Pressure

Anathema

Anathema is a British Atmospheric/Experimental Rock band from the city of Liverpool, noted for the emotional intensity of their music. They used to play Death/Doom Metal, and are often regarded as one of the big three of that genre (with Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride). Progressively, after touching psychedelia and folk, they've changed their music, today playing Atmospheric Rock. Pink Floyd are always regarded to be their biggest influence.
Anathema was formed in 1990 under the name of Pagan Angel and, in November of that year, the band recorded their first demo, entitled An Iliad of Woes. The switching of names occurred at the beginning of 1991.
Their initial demo caught the attention of a couple of bands from the English metal scene and Anathema then began to play gigs with bands such as Bolt Thrower and Paradise Lost.
The band drew a lot of attention with the release of their second demo - entitled All Faith is Lost - and a 7inch vinyl release for the swiss label Witchhunt Rec., which got Anathema a four-album deal with Peaceville Records. Their first release under the label was The Crestfallen EP in November 1992. With the material from that album the band toured with Cannibal Corpse. Serenades, their debut LP, attracted a lot of mainstream attention. A music video derived from it - Sweet Tears - even managed to reach MTV's parade.
1994 was the year of Anathema's first European tour, which was closely followed by gigs in the Independent Rock Festival in Brazil.



The Silent Enigma (1995)
1. Restless Oblivion
2. Shroud of Frost
3. ...Alone
4. Sunset of Age
5. Nocturnal Emission
6. Cerulean Twilight
7. The Silent Enigma
8. A Dying Wish
9. Black Orchid


Eternity (1996)
1. Sentient
2. Angelica
3. The Beloved
4. Eternity (Part I)
5. Eternity (Part II)
6. Hope
7. Suicide Veil
8. Radiance
9. Far Away
10. Eternity (Part III)
11. Cries on the Wind
12. Ascension
13. Far Away (Acoustic)
14. Eternity (Part II) (Acoustic)


Alternative 4 (1998)
1. Shroud of False
2. Fragile
3. Empty
4. Lost Control
5. Re-connect
6. Inner Silence
7. Alternative 4
8. Regret
9. Feel
10. Destiny

My Dying Bride

My Dying Bride is a Romantic Death/Doom metal band, formerly at the forefront of the British Death/Doom movement in the early 90s that included such bands as the former label mates Anathema and Paradise Lost. My Dying Bride have, bar one experimental album (34.788%... Complete), stuck resolutely to their raison d'etre. Relentlessly slow, thick, heavy chords allied with remarkably morose lyrics make My Dying Bride a unique proposition and certainly a challenge to the listener. Since its debut, the Halifax based band has remained steadfast in an unwavering pursuit of extreme Metal despite, ironically enjoying the rewards of an international fan base despite the noncommercial nature of its output.

As the Flower Withers (1992)
1. Silent Dance
2. Sear Me
3. The Forever People
4. The Bitterness and the Bereavement
5. Vast Choirs
6. The Return of the Beautiful
7. Erotic Literature



Turn Loose the Swans (1993)
1. Sear Me MCMXCIII
2. Your River
3. The Songless Bird
4. The Snow In My Hand
5. The Crown of Sympathy
6. Turn Loose the Swans
7. Black God


The Angel and the Dark River (1995)
1. The Cry of Mankind
2. From Darkest Skies
3. Black Voyage
4. A Sea to Suffer in
5. Two Winters Only
6. Your Shameful Heaven
7. The Sexuality of Bereavement


Songs of Darkness, Words of Light (2004)
1. The Wreckage of My Flesh
2. The Scarlet Garden
3. Catherine Blake
4. My Wine in Silence
5. The Prize of Beauty
6. Blue Lotus
7. And My Fury Stands Ready
8. A Doomed Lover

Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost - initally one of the premier death/doom bands that later incorporated electronic elements in their music. They formed in 1988 in Halifax, UK. They are also credited for helping develop the subgenre known as "gothic" metal and later gothic rock.

Ironically, the band is almost unknown in their home country, but in mainland Europe they have been extremely popular for many years, especially in Greece and Germany, where they are regarded as mainstream rock stars. Although they have also been partially attributable for pioneering gothic metal[1], throughout their career the band have also confounded fans and critics alike with their perpetual taste for reinvention and experimentation, a desire to work with producers from other musical genres, and an oft-stated refusal to repeat themselves for fear of stagnation.

Lost Paradise (1990)
1. Intro
2. Deadly Inner Sense
3. Paradise Lost
4. Our Saviour
5. Rotting Misery
6. Frozen Illusion
7. Breeding Fear
8. Paradise Lost
9. Internal Torment II


Gothic (1991)
1. Gothic
2. Dead Emotion
3. Shattered
4. Rapture
5. Eternal
6. Falling Forever
7. Angel Tears
8. Silent
9. The Painless
10. Desolate


Draconian Times (1995)
1. Enchantment
2. Hallowed Land
3. The Last Time
4. Forever Failure
5. Once Solemn
6. Shadowkings
7. Elusive Cure
8. Yearn for Change
9. Shades of God
10. Hands of Reason
11. I See Your Face
12. Jaded


In Reqiuem (2007)
1. Never for the Damned
2. Ash & Debris
3. The Enemy
4. Praise Lamented Shade
5. Requiem
6. Unreachable
7. Prelude to Descent
8. Fallen Children
9. Beneath Black Skies
10. Sedative God
11. Your Own Reality