Register Forgot login?

© 2002-2024
Encyclopaedia Metallum

Privacy Policy

Katatonia > Tonight's Decision > Reviews
Katatonia - Tonight's Decision

Mixed Decision - 73%

Gothic_Metalhead, July 13th, 2019
Written based on this version: 1999, CD, Peaceville Records

I remember listening to “Tonight’s Decisions” for the purpose of a review for my previous account and remember not liking this album. I felt like the album was the same as they're previous album “Discouraged Ones” an album that is slightly better than this album. Fast forward to today and here I am reviewing an album from Katatonia’s gothic metal era. I actually went through this album a fair amount of times to see if I changed my mind about this album.

I've always had Issues with listening to Katatonia's gothic metal albums because they always feel the same from each other from a musical and vocal standpoint. It's almost like listening to “Brave Murder Day” but without the growling. Sometimes with Katatonia's post-death-doom era it almost seems like borderline rock or a gothic metal band minus the keyboards and atmosphere. "Dance of December Souls” was an album that had a Song with different identity and had exceptional poetic lyrics and powerful music that made the album fantastically superior. While “Brave Murder Day” may not be a better album than Katatonia's debut album, it was still consistent and had great moments throughout the album. With “Tonight's Decisions” I had a slight change of heart. The album is not the greatest, but it definitely makes up for a handful of Songs that steal the spotlight.

My problem with "Tonight's Decisions is with the music of the album. Like "Discouraged Ones" it's not consistent with having almost all the Songs be different. Some even are more rock inspired. As each track goes on, it sounds like the last track to me. Further showing why I had difficulty listening to Katatonia's music because of how boring most of the first part of the album. However, there are Songs that really stand out. The opening track "For My Demons" is a catchy doomy song that is also well-connected with Jonas Renkse's vocals. Renkse's performance on the album is one of the saving graces and sounds crisp and melancholic.

"Had To (Leave)" had really nice guitar melodies and good rhythms coming out of its drumming. The best Song comes right after "Strained" named "A Darkness Coming." It includes some soothing depressing melodic guitar in the middle of the Song then returns to it's heavier side. It was a really nice transition between the two Songs that made this album not so boring. The album isn't meant to be unique in musical structure, but it nonetheless has solid moments with well executed musicianship. The depression is there in "Tonight's Decision," but my complaint with the album is of course how it all the Songs sounds similar from each other.

When it comes to the lyrics of "Tonight's Decision" they are not bad. Each track consist of wordy lyrics, but shows a fair amount of depression. Though I wouldn't really say it's Katatonia's best. Most of the time its more simple, but can easily relate to the listener through most of the Songs lyrics. Then there are some Songs that feel a bit too repetitive with its lyrics especially with Songs like "I Am Nothing," "Strained," and "A Darkness Coming." Then there are some Songs that have some good lyrics like with "For My Demons," and "Black Session." I can't really say much about the albim's lyrics, but at least they all have a concept of what mood the album will be. It's not a big deal and it still needs some work.

I do enjoy "Tonight's Decision" slightly better than my first couple of times going into this album. It definitely has flaws, but it's still has its moments. I feel the album is repetitive along with "Discouraged Ones." It all feels like a stripped down version of "Brave Murder Day" with a lot of Katatonia's typical musical structure. With tracks sounding the same with each passing track with a little less energy it just makes me not dig deep into this album. The album is still decent enough to be good, but not good enough to be great in my opinion. Most people including some of my friends really love Katatonia's gothic metal music and that's fine, I'm just still not as big of a fan of that era then back when Katatonia still had death metal inspirations. Don't my review stop you from listening to this album because its not a bad album it was just an album that doesn't really stick to me every time I listen to it. There is a certain album in particular that really got me interested in Katatonia's gothic metal albums that's better than this. Stay tuned.

Favorite Tracks: "For My Demons," "I Am Nothing," "Had To (Leave)," "Strained," "A Darkness Coming"

Carefully crafted - 91%

gasmask_colostomy, May 8th, 2015

It puzzles me that Katatonia are often labelled as a "depressing" band or simply a generic rock/metal outfit, because I have always thought of them as a progressive band. This might seem an unexpected claim. Let me explain: it is easy to point out that Katatonia's progression between albums has been prodigious, but people often fail to notice the surprising amount of change and experimentation that went into any of the band's releases, with few fixed styles from song to song, or even at times within songs. Thus, I see Katatonia from about 1998 on as a progressive band like Porcupine Tree, not necessarily because of similar sounds, but because they don't really have any specific sound. I mean, are Katatonia gothic rock? Not any kind I recognise. Are they doom metal? Barely at all, except for some slower tempos. Are they shoegaze, that influence that the band admitted to on Brave Murder Day? Almost certainly not; everything is too dramatic and the variations too frequent. I really don't think the band are bound by any such restrictions.

Take the contrast between the second and third tracks here for example. 'I Am Nothing' relies on tension and release, brooding and expression, with tense verses cut off by a jolting riff and the chorus paving a flatter, calmer exit for emotion. On the other hand, 'In Death, a Song' bursts out with a joyous chorus melody that sounds like the first blaze of sunshine on a cold morning and needs only that, a single glorious harmonic match between vocal and guitar in the verse, and one lurching, day-affirming riff to hold everything together. It's a very simple piece of music but for over a year was my favourite song by any band, since its radiant mood and quietly perfect lyrics gave such an explosion of hope and happiness that I could never resist it. For a band that are labelled as depressing, Katatonia have a number of these shining moments: the melody of 'Right Into the Bliss' sparkles with delightful energy, while there is a sense of playfulness in the cover of 'Nightmares by the Sea' that extends right to the usually melancholy vocals. These ambiguous bittersweet moments are the highlights of the album in my eyes and give the band an uplifting element that, like Sentenced, stops the generally negative themes becoming one-dimensional and actually provides hope and beauty to pacify the listener.

On Tonight's Decision, Jonas Renkse's lyrics and vocal style set the mood for each track. He doesn't have many cheerful lyrics (probably at his most negative on this album and Discouraged Ones), but at his best he leaves just enough nuance to avoid descending into total misery. I'm of the opinion that his lyrics reached their zenith on the following 2 albums, where they were more narrative, though there are a few songs here that point to a greater overall picture. Renkse's range is so varied compared to Discouraged Ones, released barely a year before, and it gives the songs a whole new dimension. He can drape double-tracked verses with little counter-melodies that sound unsettling because they are in fact slightly out of tune or out of time with one another, which sets a weird atmosphere even without much instrumental backing; he also uses the double-tracking to make his choruses achingly potent and twice as catchy; sometimes he sings high, which is strikingly delicate, sometimes he slows his pace and drips words out one by one, sometimes he simply lays his voice flat on top of the rhythm guitar and lets its strength carry his words. By the time this album came along, he really had mastered his voice and impresses with hooks and memorable lyrics on most of the songs.

Of course, even Renkse would fall flat without his trusty partner Anders Nyström. The guitarist outdoes even his own high standards for producing melodies here and it is his contribution in this department that makes it easy for me to choose my favourite songs. He lifts 'In Death, a Song', 'Right Into the Bliss', and 'Strained' above normal levels of quality and into dazzling, confusing realms of brilliance that simply defy your emotions to make sense of what's happening. His riffing (he gets ample help for the first time from Fredrik Norrman) is not always as creative as it could be, but there are a few nice acoustic moments, especially the introduction to the opener, and the winding, dizzying motif of 'Black Session', which really does feel like a strange trip into madness. Perhaps the majority of the plainer riffs are chances for Renkse to perform more at the fore, in which case the band made the right decision. Dan Swanö contributes drums on Tonight's Decision and keeps the energy high enough to mix the moods on the album, though there's nothing too special going on.

Tonight's Decision is one of my favourite Katatonia albums because it has the smarts to step out of the frame of mind that the band were in with Discouraged Ones, open their wings, and take a leap in many different directions. The band don't give their very best performances, but Renkse is excellent and Nyström very distinctive, while they successfully set themselves up to expand their sound on later albums.

An Important Transitional Album - 94%

Nokturnal_Wrath, September 16th, 2013

Tonight’s Decision is a transitional stage for the band, changing from the bleaker and harder hitting doom band they once were to the more accessible depressive rock oriented sound of today. Unlike the suicidal dirge of Discouraged Ones, Tonight’s Decision functions on a more rock oriented template, although there is still a strong sense of melodic doom the way in which the bands sound is massively different to what came before. Brave Murder Day was the album that marked Katatonia’s change in style, it was their first release to include the signature clean vocals, the songs were more accessible and melodic than those found on Dance of December Souls and elements of their newer sound can be found in trace amounts. Discouraged Ones despite lacking a lot of metal elements can still be seen as the spiritual successor to Brave Murder Day, carrying on with the repetitive and minimalistic song structures, Discouraged Ones carried on with the song writing elements on Brave Murder Day yet halved the song lengths and dropped a lot of the metal elements. Discouraged Ones can best be described as a less metal, more rock and exclusively cleanly sung version of Brave Murder Day. Tonight’s Decision carries on with the clean style the band created on Discouraged One’s yet taking it into a more alternative and gothic direction. Jonas Renkse’s clean vocals have massively improved from Discouraged One’s, the songs aren’t as depressing yet they’re still plenty miserable and overall there’s less doom metal incorporated.

If Discouraged Ones can be seen as a “clean” doom metal album, then Tonight’s Decision can be seen as a clean album with doom metal influences. Although Discouraged Ones did lack a lot of metal elements, the primary aesthetics and atmosphere of doom metal was still there, it was still pretty much doom, granted it was accessible and rock oriented but still the atmosphere was still there. Tonight’s Decision on the other hand seems to drop most of the doom metal elements and incorporates elements of gothic rock and alternative metal, branching them further apart from their previous albums. The most noticeable change could be seen in the tone of this album, far removed from the funereal dirge of Dance of December Souls, the bleak and somber atmosphere of Brave Murder Day or the suicidal doom of Discouraged Ones, Tonight’s Decision isn’t as emotionally hard hitting and draining as previous Katatonia albums. The tone of the music is overall far less bleak, whereas Discouraged Ones was absolutely drained of energy, it felt worn out and languid, the overall atmosphere presented was one of those who have given up on life, Discouraged Ones was about as suicidal as this band could possibly get. Tonight’s Decision takes the bands atmosphere in another direction, it is still emotional and miserable yet it doesn’t sound as worn out and languid. It feels more alive, more human. It doesn’t drip with depression and negativity, the atmosphere is more of a somber melancholy instead of a suicidal and oppressive atmosphere dripping with negative emotions. The influx of gothic and alternative elements is the main causation of this change in style. These influences allow the songs to be more riff oriented and less focused on the use of repetitive and minimalistic structures, the song structures lean closer to rock than doom metal and the overall tone feels profoundly gothic.

Compared to Discouraged Ones the song writing is more varied, although most songs follow the verse-chorus-verse structure the repetitive and hypnotic passages are gone, the focus has shifted gears from minimalism to a more melodious and rock oriented sound. The doom elements are minute are best and often struggle against the denser and more powerful depressive rock elements, there’s still some elements left over from their Death/Doom days but there is a sense that they’re dwindling, that they’re becoming obsolete. Katatonia are at a cross roads in their sound, the middle point between the alternative and melodic doom of Discouraged Ones and the depressive rock of Last Fair Deal Gone Down. Compared to Discouraged Ones, Tonight’s Decision is harder, heavier, more melodic and accessible and the song writing is more varied. The riffing is more varied, with some excellent melodic leads; they’re shifting the focus from hypnotic and minimalistic dirges to a catchier more rock oriented approach. The riffs are still depressive yet they lack the underlying substratum of emptiness and suicidality that defined Discouraged Ones. The melodies are creative and have the unique factor of being able to compliment any emotions the listener is currently feeling, Katatonia in my eyes play music that is universal, music that most if not everyone is able to relate to. They create music based around universal feelings, they’re able to compliment any mood and emotions, despite being tagged as a depressive rock band some of the melodies I find are surprisingly uplifting. There’s more going on in Katatonia’s music than the typical depressive band.

Tonight’s Decision is excellent in portraying emotions, the vocals are mournful and at times bitter, Jonas Renkse has definitely improved as a clean singer from the days of Discouraged Ones. He sounds more confident and forceful yet also being more forlorn, it compliments the music excellently. The guitar lines are suitably depressive and add a lot in terms of atmosphere, the guitar lines are highly melodic and the depressive leads can also be extremely catchy, being firmly implanted in the mind of the listener. Keyboards are used to add ambiance, complimenting the music when necessary adding a swirling and atmospheric layer over the depressive guitar lines. Drums and bass create a solid undercurrent to the music, adding a lot in terms of heaviness and overall density. The production is spot on, whereas previous albums favored a much rawer sound quality in order to compliment the suicidality and depressiveness of the music, Tonight’s Decision has a far clearer production in order to allow all the instruments to be heard. Whereas previous albums needed the poorer production in order to fit the equally bleak music, because Tonight’s Decision is far less bleak and desolate the production needed to be improved to suit the overall tone of the music. The atmosphere has moved entirely from forests and cemeteries to the bleak urbanized world, the production really helps to emphasize the content and emotions of the music, painting a bleak urbanized view of the world through the emotional and depressive music.

Tonight’s Decision is an excellent album, the music is highly emotional and depressive yet being comfortable in Katatonia’s more melodic and accessible rock direction. At this point Katatonia have immersed themselves in the middle ground between their older melodic doom sound and their depressive rock sound they have tweaked and perfected over the year, they are about to separate themselves fully from their doom days and immerse themselves entirely in the alternative and gothic direction they have become known for. Tonight’s Decision is an important transitional era for the band and a noticeable turning point in their music.

Crossroads. - 100%

greywanderer7, July 14th, 2012

This is the turning point in Katatonia's career, the true beginning of the alternative influenced records, (even though the 'melodic doom metal' of Discouraged Ones is still present), and a contender for best work of theirs, all at the same time. How's that for a transitional album?

The songwriting is more dynamic and varied, and while most songs follow the verse-chorus-verse pattern, the droning, repetitive song structures are gone. The production is sharp, and more polished than ever before, making a lot less evident the presence of (doom) metal riffs, and removing the dreamy, dense guitar wall of sound of the previous work. The heavier riffs are still there, but in a somehow reduced amount, with the guitars playing mostly open chords. The leads are cleaner, with a more streamlined but more sorrowful feel to them. Despite the guitar work being more influenced by alternative rock this time, it sounds distorted, hard-edged, and still quite heavy.

Dan Swanö returns as a session member, this time not playing keyboards, but drums instead, so that Jonas Renkse could focus entirely on vocals. And this worked out for the best, in both the vocal and percussion department, since the vocals are a notable improvement over the ones of the past record, with Renkse coming into his own as a singer, and developing that expressive quality which makes his voice distinctive in the metal realm. And, while proficient, he was not a great drummer, his simplistic beats being finally replaced for a more dynamic drumming style, also closer to alt rock than metal.

The atmosphere has moved entirely from cemeteries and forests to the urban world, being more contemplative and reflexive, having a dark, industrial, decayed feel, like that of a grey, cloudy day or night in the suburbs of a big city, where melancholy takes over the mind of its inhabitants. This mood, brought upon the music for the first time in the band's career, has remained (and not only that, has become more intense) in all their later albums to date, and it's one of the most enjoyable and exciting features of the new Katatonia sound.

The whole reflexive vibe and atmosphere is enhanced by the more 'refined' approach to the music and cleaner production, the singing, which expresses in an honest way the feelings portrayed by the lyrics, and the lyrics themselves. Their content became more direct, intriguing and explicit, focused on life and all of its burden: depression, pesimism, failed prospects and relationships, and even hope, things all of us can easily relate to, and, as a result, the music succeeds at both making a connection and emotionally altering the listener.

Even though as a whole, the album is consistent, and I find myself enjoying all the songs, new listeners trying to get into the album should probably check out songs like the opener 'For My Demons', the catchy 'I Am Nothing', the groovish but gloomy '(Had to) Leave', the uplifting 'Right Into the Bliss', 'Nightmares By the Sea', which, despite being a cover, fits amazingly well with the mood of the record, or the doomiest, heaviest song of the bunch, which served as a closure of sorts for the metallic era of the band, 'Black Session'.

As the title says, this could be viewed as Katatonia arriving at a crossroad in their career, in between two paths: the metal one, and the depressive rock one. They're about to leave the former to fully immerse themselves into the latter. The doom and alternative influences are constantly struggling to be the main force driving the album, and by doing so, they give it a sense of contrast, fueled also by the pessimistic but encouraging lyrical content, a contrast between light and darkness, an inner struggle, similar to life itself.

If you knew what I've been through - 95%

autothrall, April 13th, 2010

The transformation from Katatonia's death/doom roots into the melodic and somber entity they are today was a gradual one, through the bleak and beautiful Brave Murder Day into the mellow yet driving despair of Discouraged Ones. On this, their fifth full-length, they delivered a monolith of dulcet tones and miserable bliss, having finally realized the metamorphosis into the Katatonia we know today.

Tonights' Decision created a quandary in many of the band's original fanbase due to its accessibility. Long gone are the death vocals and droning repetitions. This is Katatonia lite. Katatonia pop, if you will. But anyone listening deeper, beyond the surface will realize Tonight's Decision is a spray of welcome mist on an overcast afternoon, an embellishment of personal despair with riffs that reflect it. It doesn't hurt that "For My Demons" might just be the catchiest track this Swedish outfit have ever unveiled. Creative clean guitar tone plucking initiates a flowing, grooving breath of sadness below Renkse's sedate lyrical musings. The lyrics to this, and the majority of the album, are essentially blues. If the blues were being played at an upclass gothic nightclub. "I Am Nothing" continues the bleak exploration with its acoustic laden percussion, taking its time to deliver the heavier guitars. "In Death, a Song" provides a melodic syrup of Renske at his catchiest, while the guitars of 'Blakkheim' and Fred Norman shine in all their doomed grace. "Had to (leave)" is a bit heavier and groovier, while "This Punishment" is entirely mellowed blues folk emblazoned with a seering organ sound. "Right Into the Bliss" is all too catchy and warm. The rest of the album is equally passionate, with other standouts including "A Darkness Coming" and "Black Session". The band also offers a reasonable cover of Jeff Buckley's "Nightmares by the Sea".

The mix has a very acoustic feel to it, as if Katatonia arrived in your mid-priced college tenement flat one evening and plugged right in to the amplifiers in your living room. The guitars are silky and gossamer but just powerful enough to pull off its heavier riffs. Jonas Renkse sounds sad. Mission accomplished. Tonight's Decision is my favorite Katatonia record, though Viva Emptiness has grown on me to almost rival it. There is much to offer here for an evening of sadness, to turn your smile upside down.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Last Doom - 98%

grimdoom, August 18th, 2008

On Katatonia's fourth release we see the band exploring the style they abruptly changed to on 'Discouraged Ones' being further explored. This is their last "Metal" album until 'The Great Cold Distance'. This is a fine Doom Metal release that is full of despair and sorrow.

The production is solid and better than it was on 'Discouraged Ones'. There is no palm muting once again as they instead opt for a full on open chorded approach. This is very melodic despite the semi grinding guitar tone. This album is also fairly heavy considering how melodic it is.

The bass once again follows the guitars a bit too much. The drums (provided by none other than Dan Swano) are only slightly less minimalistic than they were the previous two releases.

The vocals are more focused and direct. Jonas is still exploring his melodic side on this but he's surer of himself and it shows. The lyrics are a step up in quality as well as their grasp of English which seemingly gets better with each release. They are the bands typical woe and sadness fare.

This album, while not intricate, is surprisingly layered for its simplicity. There is a lot going on and while the guitar work isn't "busy" per-say it’s competent and thought out. This album has several beautiful moments that the band hasn't been able to create before or since. This is a depressing record that will undoubtedly appeal to those who enjoyed 'Discouraged Ones'.

Continuation Of Experimentation. - 80%

Perplexed_Sjel, November 3rd, 2007

Tonight's Decision is a very emotional affair. Emotionally driven music is what Katatonia are good at. You can never feel disappointed with the amount of passion Katatonia put into making a record because they always put their all in to it. That side to Tonight's Decision is, like every Katatonia full-length, a massive success. Fantastic vocals are at the heart of creating this emotional edge which this particular full-length is drive forwards by. Sombre tones are something Jonas has perfected with time. Tonight's Decision opens with a typically fantastic song by Katatonia in, 'For My Demons'.


"You would never sleep at night
if you knew what I've been through
and this thought is all I have
to trust upon when light is gone."


Katatonia's lyrics have a universal effect to them. People everyone, no matter who they are or what they've experience in this wondrous thing we call life, can relate to Katatonia's lyrics without fail. These particular lyrics highlight my recent problems with insomnia because I have a lot to think about. This is one of the reasons Katatonia will always remain special to me. They have an ability to connect with me, as a listener, with ease. They're not pretentious, nor do they cry out in vain for attention. This is a band who subtly do what they're supposed to, but to great effect.


Those depressive riffs run through your mind over and over again. Without a doubt, the most impressive thing about Tonight's Decision, aside from the vocals, are the leads. They're creative melodies which can adapt to anything you feel. This particular aspect of Katatonia's music is what makes them so great, and a great band in general contains this element. Being able to connect to their audience no matter what they're feeling. Remarkable. Somehow, although they're tagged as a depressive rock band these days, I happen to find some of Katatonia's music quite uplifting.


The band remind me of the stereotype of British weather. It's raining like it's monsoon season one moment and then it's sunny the next. This metaphor could apply to Katatonia's albums in general since they transform the way they play music and what style they play. One moment the atmospheric nature depicts depression and isolation, the very next moment then depicts a more resolute feeling. A happiness through isolation. Solitude can often be a healthy thing. Katatonia's music breezes through the emotions like the wind. One emotion to the next. Effortlessly controlling the way the audience feels.


Production wise, Katatonia always have it spot on. Earlier records needed a harsher touch to them. They needed to reflect suicidal despair through doom laden dirges. Now, the production feels slightly hazy, which I interpret as a metaphor for the way Katatonia confuse the audience over what they're currently feeling. The way they can stretch emotion and either make it feel worse or ten times better is astoundingly brilliant. As an English student, I do tend to over analyse everything, so bear with me here as I run through my mind for metaphors.


Emotions, which are always on edge throughout this record, are displayed mostly by the vocals and the guitars. Keys are used to create ambience and, quite often a swirling sound which wraps itself around the mind of the listener in order to keep their interest. The aggressive tone of the guitars at points is fantastic. They're forceful and crude. They aren't afraid to push the emotive side further, nor are they afraid to tap into the mind of the audience. Again, I stress the importance of being able to connect to the audience.


In terms of negatives, i'd say that the similar sounding nature of the songs could possibly hinder the opinions of this Katatonia album. It's not too diverse, but diverse enough. There are certain songs which seem rather average compared to others (Right Into The Bliss). But that doesn't stop me from holding a fairly high opinion of this record.

Pretty Good New Katatonia - 80%

Cravinov13, May 3rd, 2007

Katatonia is a Swedish doom metal band that formed in Stockholm, Sweden in 1991. Katatonia is best known as one of the pioneering bands for the emotionally depressed and brutal yet slow doom metal genre. Katatonia is also one of those bands that have made a great progression from earlier work to later work, starting off as a brutal death doom band (in which two of there albums featured Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt on harsh vocals) to a more mellow, lighter form of the doom metal genre (which some people like to call ‘depressed rock’). Tonight’s Decision is the second full length album by the band in which they have adopted their more lighthearted sound (the album is their fourth full length in all). The album has a very melancholy feel to it, yet it still delivers some nice, heavy, doomy riffs and sad vocals that make Katatonia one of the leaders of the underground genre.

The album opens up with the soft, progressive tunes of For My Demons, which quickly kick into heavier riffs which show the band’s skills at the guitar have not diminished since they’ve adopted their lighter sound. The song is very mellow vocally, with Jonas Renkse singing a very falsetto tune. The song has some very catchy tunes and the chorus is a good attention grabber as the heavy riffs kick back in when Jonas Renkse uses some amazing vocal talent. The song is a good opener and a perfect example of what most of the album is, and ends up being one o the better songs in the long run. I Am Nothing is the next track, starting with some dark bass grooves and a mellow drum beat. The singing fits very well in the thick atmosphere of the track, and as the heavy riffs kick in for a few seconds, you know the song is going to give you more then just a slow paced, steady track. The chorus is delivers some amazing, fast yet steady riffs and bass grooves leading some amazing singing by Jonas Renkse. Overall the song is another great, ‘hard rock meets doom metal’ heavy hitter.

In Death, A Song kicks off with some heavy, catchy riffs that leads straight into more of Jonas Renkse's operatic singing style. The song has a good flow and has a good, dense atmosphere to it. The song lacks major dynamics like the first two tracks, but still delivers a pretty catchy chorus tune even it’s straightforward guitar riffs that stay throughout. Had To (Leave) is another track with slow and heavy doom riffs that bring on some of the more bluntly depressed lyrics that did not show so much in the other songs. The song’s bridges are lot more dynamic then the chorus of the song, delivering some rather spazzy guitar work and up beat yet depressed vocals. Musically the sing stands out the most on the album with its’ apocalyptic sounding riffs and keyboard back drop that show why this band defines doom metal, but vocally the track could be a lot more dynamic.

Another mellow track like the first song is This Punishment, which starts off with some soft guitar strums and mellow singing. The song is short and very straightforward but has a nice, soft guitar solo put into it, giving it a very calm atmosphere that is nice and soothing to the ears. After some very mystic sounding guitar riffs kick in to Right Into The Bliss, the song jumps into a nice, heavy groove that suddenly stops into a slow guitar strum which leads back into more heavy riffs backed up by Jonas Renkse’s singing. The song has some amazing guitar work on it, and the chorus is very catchy and flows well with the music. The song’s atmosphere is very dense as are some of the other tracks, but manages to deliver some of the best guitar and bass grooves on the album. No Good Can Come Of This starts with some soft guitars that lead into some crunchy, heavy riffs that spazz a bit before exiting, leading into a very soft, mellow tune before kicking back on again. The chorus to the song has a good swinging groove to it that makes a good flow even with the spazzy guitar riffs in the bridges. The song is one of the more unique on the album, but still manages to hit hard.

Strained kicks off with some heavy drum lines and guitar riffs and backing vocals that remind me a lot of Amorphis (another death/ doom band that has not lost it’s heaviness). The song has a good atmosphere to it and the singing is some of the best on the album and fit well with the catchy guitar riffs. The keyboard used in the track is rather hard to notice, but helps give the song some what of an Egyptian vibe to it (especially when the solo kicks in). Another mellow, dark track is A Darkness Coming, which starts off with soft guitar strums that stay throughout the track. The singing gives the song a nice, depressed vibe to it as well. The song picks up halfway with more heavier riffs and a wicked guitar solo near the end of it. Overall the song could of done better if it kept it’s more mellow, acoustic sound all the way through while still keeping the solo.

Nightmare By The Sea is another upbeat song that starts off with slow riffs that kick into very jumpy, heavier riffs. The song focuses a lot more on the bass and drum grooves in the bridges, which give it a unique feel. The chorus doesn’t real do much for me since it lacks a lot of the catchiness the other songs have, but the guitar grooves make up for most of the song. The epic tunes of Black Session start off with some light guitar strums that lead into some very heavy, distorted riffs that really bring back that doom feel to the album. The song is very heavy but still has that mellow feel to it as Jonas Renkse sings his heart out all over the track. The progressive feel to the song gives it a good atmosphere and flow that makes it stand out as a good, heavy hitter that is perfect to end the album. Overall, Tonight’s Decision is a good, solid album and is perfect for any doom metal fan or any one who is pitifully depressed and wants to put on some music to fit his/ her mood.

THIS WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN FOR SPUTNIKMUSIC.COM!

The true beginnings of the new style - 80%

Taliesin, November 5th, 2006

After three masterpieces which, despite all being different, do fit together, Katatonia returned with a continuation of the movement away from the harsher doom metal that was on Discouraged Ones, with an album that is in many ways dissimilar even to the previous recording, and to much of their past. Not totally however, we do continue to find the depressive melodic lines played by the guitar, but there is a much more driving songwriter feeling to this album, every song sounds like they rehearsed them endlessly before recording, everything is very tight, the drums pound away, no more of the depressive melancholic minimalism of their past two albums. Despite the fact that on here Katatonia have become "alternative metal," the mood is still very much similar to before. We find in the lyrics bitter tales of regret and pain, as if written by someone looking at everything that causes suicide in his life.

The production is clear and powerful, the guitars are given a good tone, the drums are amazingly well produced, and the bass is pretty clear. There is really no use of keyboards, except slight touches here and there. Unlike the last few albums, Katatonia focus on just the songwriting of guitar, bass and drums, with the vocals holding it together. One thing I do like about Katatonia on here is that the music itself is very sorrowful and matches the desolate mood of the lyrics.

Jonas Renkse's vocals are good for what they are, although I actually prefered his more Robert Smith-ish vocals on Saw You Drown and Discouraged Ones, he's developed more of his own character, with a distinct tone and phrasing, that though at times similar to Opeth's clear vocals, is still his own on here.

Now if you were to ask the biggest difference between this album and the previous records I would say it is far less hypnoticaly depressing. Rather then work on an almost subliminal way, Katatonia have taken a more direct route with more changes in the riffs, rather then go on for 3 minutes with one riff or a slight change between two riffs, Katatonia go for a sound that is shifting constantly. This brings a more upfront sense of melancholy, that while still effective, is unfortunatly much more commercial.

Thus this is an odd album, it did move Katatonia away from the more minimalist structures that I loved about Brave Murder Day and Discouraged Ones, but it is still pretty dark and dismal. Thus it is recommended, but it might be wise to listen before you buy.

Katatonia keep growing - 90%

stefan86, August 13th, 2005

"Well I'm here, and summer is gone I hear. So pray for me as I now leave your town".

Those are the first words of this record and it's obvious this band wastes no time delivering a great deal of melancholy once again. "Tonight's Decision" is Katatonia's fourth full-length release and their second alt rock-ish album featuring the clean vocals. It continues the direction of "Discouraged Ones" without any major changes. It's however not a replica, as there are just enough changes present to make it stand on its own.

Where the previous album focused on a full-on assault of gloom and melancholy, this is more of a songwriting effort. The writing is more direct as well as more catchy. This works both ways, as they gain more accessibility as well as memorability. Obviously, the more commercial direction of this CD must have pissed off its fair share of purist listeners at the time of release.

Almost every song goes for the now patented forumula with the laid back verses and powerful choruses. Yes, the choruses are indeed astonishingly catchy.. but I find that the core elements of Katatonia's sound remain untouched. The emotion is clearly here, as Jonas Renske once again presents an arsenal of depressive and thought-proviking lyrics. Songs like "I Am Nothing", "For My Demons" and "No Good Can Come of This" balance between rocking beats and the emotion Katatonia is so well known for perfectly.

I remain astonished each time I look through the lyric sheets. Many of the lyrics touch upon very personal subjects, and is even further powered by a vocal delivery oozing of conviction. Mr Renske also displays a great growth when it comes to power and technique.

The guitars and drumming are what we have come to expect from this band. It's nothing fancy when it comes to technique, as they've always sacrificed showing off for writing a solid backbone in each song. But everything flows like streaming water thanks to the great songwriting craft. All in all, this is another great addition to the Katatonia discography. In my mind, it seems this band can do no wrong.

Tonight's Decision - 90%

torn, May 1st, 2005

Having left their doom - metal origins far behind them, Katatonia no present us with a far poppier album than one might expect from them. It's still heavy enough and miserable enough to please existing fans, but I can see this winning over a whole new audience as well.
The most obviously 'pop' element about this album is the simple 'verse/chorus' song structures present on many of the songs, and the overall simplicity of the record. Their are no complex riffs or drum patterns here that will impress the musicians among us, but Katatonia manage to make the simplicity work in their favour.
What we do get here is a set of enchanting songs that use their simple nature to draw you in and engross you, in much the same way that 'trance - black metal' bands (Xasthur, Judas Iscariot etc.) try to.
There really isn't a bad song on here, and the whole album is well structured. Whilst the majority of the album plods away at the same tempo, there is enough variation in the songs themselves to keep things interesting. 'This Punishment' is a well-placed interlude, and 'A Darkness Coming' mixes melancholy acoustic guitars with some beautiful riffing towards the end of the song. Other highlights include 'In Death, A Song', with a main riff that you'll be humming for weeks, and 'No Good Can Come Of This' upping the energy levels a little with its stop/start rhythms.
For me, however, the real magic here is to be found in the lyrics. Nystrom and Renkse have really outdone themselves here, treating us to 10 beautifully crafted, astoundingly deep poems. The real genius is that most of it works on more than one level, meaning that even if some people can only grasp the face value of the lyrics, they can still appreciate them.
This is probably Katatonia's most accessible piece of work to date, and, as such, is an ideal starting point for many people. There are just enough of the band's trademark elements present to please old fans as well (although perhaps not fans of the 'Dance Of December Souls' album), and, all in all, this is a thoroughly engrossing experience.

Decent Depressing Rock - 70%

masterolightning, March 8th, 2005

It’s okay to have some non-metal albums in your collection, but there are probably others you’ll want before this one.

Tonight’s Decision is probably more satisfying than most of the hard rock on the market, but it doesn’t quite manage to be captivating for the full hour of music here. I think Katatonia has succeeded in creating an atmosphere throughout the album, but it is just too dreary at times. The lyrical content is depressing and deals with a lot of suicide and impending doom. The similarities between the sound of the songs, and the steady vocals reinforce the mood. Song structures do vary a bit, but the tones and ideas in the songs are so similar that it’s hard to notice at times. Part of this problem has to do with the production. The verses and choruses of the songs run together after a while, and the songs sound the same, largely due to the fact that these songs all move at about the same pace. There are times where the production should spice up the album, but the touches are very subtle. There are vocal and drum echoes, bass passages, and some electronic effects, but these all fit so well that it takes a good ear to notice them. When an album needs some variety, this doesn’t help. In general, the drums aren’t flashy, the bass is almost nonexistent, and the vocals are somewhat monotonous.

The album starts well, as the first four songs are pretty catchy despite the dark topics and slow pace. Anders Nyström’s lead playing is what makes these songs work. His guitar tone is very clean and high-pitched compared to the gritty, crunchier rhythm guitar work. In Death, A Song is a good example of how the two guitars combine to make a song work. Afer a while though, the chugging guitar on every track starts to get a bit dull. Nyström’s guitar also becomes less interesting. Right into the Bliss is a happier sounding song, but it just kind of plods along.

Late in the album is A Darkness Coming, which is a highlight that shouldn’t be overlooked. The acoustic guitar sounds warmer than anything else on the album, and there’s a pleasant flute sound in the background. Then in the middle of the song, a guitar solo (I remember those!) stands out. More guitar solos could have really livened things up. This is a great moment. In a similar vein to the acoustic parts of this song is the instrumental tacked on the end of the final track.

Katatonia succeeded in what they were trying to do most likely. Unfortunately, this album has limited appeal because of the depressing atmosphere and lack of variety. There are some good songs here, but for the most part, this is not something you’ll end up listening to all that often.

Recommended Tracks: For My Demons; In Death, A Song; A Darkness Coming.

Will they ever release a bad album? - 88%

WitheringToSerenity, March 21st, 2004

Katatonia's 4th full album Tonights Decision follows suit with Discouraged ones by creating even more dark, depressive songs of melancholy. They have continued with a tight two guitar distorted attack which gives Katatonia an incredible wall of sound for this release as they did on Discouraged Ones which is the basis for their sound on this album as well. One difference on this album is the soft electric to heavy guitar formula more often employed than ever before. They have certainly furthered themselves even more from the metal scene with this album, sounding completely different from earlier efforts like Dance of December Souls. The songs are still dark, incredibly emotional and sung with as much passion as ever before from vocalist Jonas Renske. Katatonia's lead guitar melodies are still ever so present and irresistably memorable yet lack the bite of rival guitarists including Gregor Mackintosh(Paradise Lost).


What is also noticable on this album, is the slight presence of electronics/keyboards and acoustics(A Darkness Coming) throughout this record which they continued to expand and experiment in later albums with softer tones employed on this release. One of the things that impresses me most is that they have managed to make a fresh new spin on this album which could be considered similar to their previous release Discouraged Ones at times (see intro of Right Into The Bliss). I have always considered this their least evolutionary album, but still one of my favorite nonetheless. Contains some of Katatonia' darker, catchier tunes including For My Demons, In Death A Song, No Good Can Come of This and Black Session. Excellent music is still excellent music at the end of the day, regardless of how original it is. Tonights Decision is a perfect example of this. Their most mature and well polished album overall to that date. A must for Katatonia fans and anyone interested in dark, yet melancholic goth rock/metal!

Deeply emotional album of the highest quality - 89%

PainMiseryDeath, November 21st, 2003

Having left their more metal sound behind on Discouraged Ones, Katatonia continue as expected, releasing another deeply emotional album of the highest quality. Slightly heavier, and more dynamic than their previous release, Tonight's Decision is a cd that creates an unthinkable feeling of detachment and depression. From the music I would assume all the members of Katatonia are depressed, and miserable, especially vocalist Jonas Renske. The lyrics depict the feelings of a deeply depressed individual. Jonas doesn't have the best voice, but he manages to sing with so much emotion so that it doesnt get repetitous, and the vocals are surely a highlight. The drums are a little more varied here (thanks to the enlisted aid of Dan Swano behind the kit), which gives Tonight's Decision yet another boost. Anders Nystrom and Fred Norrman exhibit tastefull guitar work, with memorable riffs.

Standout tracks include I am Nothing, In Death a Song, Right Into the Bliss, No Good Can Come of This, Strained, and Black Session. This is my personal favorite Katatonia release, and I recommend it to anybody.