Band: KATLA.
Country: Iceland
Title: Allt þetta helvítis myrkur 
Label: Prophecy Productions
Year: 2020
Style: Atmospheric Doom Post Metal

Review:
Iceland is actually a beautiful island, located far from the hustle and bustle of Europe, but close to the cold and the northern lights. The title of the second full-length of the Katla. formation formed in 2015 in Reykjavik. "All this hellish darkness" largely reflects what was painstakingly recorded on this disc (and scribbled a bit graphically in the lyrics). And what is recorded is what all "fasting" is characterized by, that is: exaggerated poetry wrapped in ineffable sadness and regret, vocal and slow wailing, stretching (like old chewing gum on the boots) guitar sadness. How much sadness I listened to in a time when before Sunday / Monday MTV's "Headbanger's Ball" had to wait out "MTV's 120 minutes" where such alternative grief was played. Back then, hardly anyone loaded it into metal, today Iceland excels in it. The country that gave birth to the excellent Bjørk, unfortunately, is changing musically more and more into minor bands, such as Katla (with a dot at the end). I wonder who of the non-Icelanders reaching for these depressing sounds will take the trouble, what the lyrics are about and WTF... I do not fully grasp it either, but the sense of additional choking through "Villuljós" (pseudo-folk), "Likfundur a Solheimasandi" (pseudo-soundtracks), "Salarsvefn" (pseudo-ambient transforming into schizoidal blackmetal), "Vergangur" (sad whispering trying to pose for jazzmetal), "Hvitamyrkur" (quite a weak imitation of The Gathering and Bathory in one) seems quite doubtful to me. Is Iceland really such a depressing place on earth? Probably not, because "Husavikur Jon" sounds quite good (maybe because this track is closer to the cold wave than to blkmethyl) ... And it was better, but the title "Allt þetta helvítis myrkur" again leads to some vague pseudosagi and the last "Svartnaetti "Is already an overhead when it comes to pouring out programmatic psychodepress and combining metal with" Icelandic indie folk songwriting ". Nevertheless, the idea is there - only that the authentic atmosphere in the Negura Bunget type is (still) far away. It is sad to know how to play and there are bands that do it brilliantly. Katla (with a dot) is not one of them, at least in my opinion. I heard "But Vilcin, you don't know each other, that's how it was supposed to be !!!, This is the legendary Icelandic sound, man !!!" Yes, I know it was meant to be (unfortunately, heh...). That's why I listened, gave my opinion and skipped for the future. But if Katla (with a dot) ever records something more valuable and more original and less programmatically depressing, maybe I'll be tempted, heh… Guys, please more metal than hipster-sadness!
Reviewed by Vilcin
Rating: 3/10

Contact:
facebook.com/katla.band