Though it’s doubtful that when his band put out their first demo 18 years ago he envisioned them becoming one of melancholic European doom’s most influential acts, vocalist Jonas Renkse of Sweden‘s Katatonia nonetheless wears his legacy humbly. On the eve of the release of Night is the New Day (Peaceville), the singer is more concerned with picking out which new songs will make it into upcoming gigs than with resting on his laurels or indulging in any, “Gosh, wasn’t Tonight’s Decision badass?” nonsense.

And yes, Tonight’s Decision was badass.

A decade, four full-lengths and a live album later, however, Katatonia are still in the midst of their stylistic development. Capitalizing on 2006’s more aggressive The Great Cold Distance while at once melding gloomy heaviness with the sedate, gently depressive atmospherics for which the band has become known, Night is the New Day offers strength in both aspects at the same time it molds them into something new entirely. Something new and yet still definitively Katatonia.

Such the way of the record and the band as a whole. Continually changing and shifting the expectations of their fans, Katatonia has become an institution of quality songcraft and execution — thanks in no small part to the writing talents of Renkse and guitarist Anders Nystr?m, the two lone remaining original members. Renkse recently took some time out for a phoner to discuss Night is the New Day and the progression of the band, and The Obelisk is honored to feature that interview after the jump. Please enjoy.

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Straight out of the “Yes, Please” file comes the news that My Dying Bride are recording a new EP tentatively due this fall to be dubbed Bring Me Victory for the track of the same name on their latest album, For Lies I Sire (review here). Story’s on Blabbermouth, but here it is through the magic of cut and paste:

UK doom legends My Dying Bride have been busy at Futureworks studio in Manchester recording material for a new EP. Entitled Bring Me Victory, the effort will include two covers — “Scarborough Fair” and The Swans‘ “Failure.” A new video has been completed as well to support the release. The band states, “An October release date has been penciled in, but this may be put back a little depending on how the last days of recording go.”

What you’ve got to appreciate about monumental UK doomers My Dying Bride — who along with Paradise Lost and Anathema constituted the “Peaceville Three” and helped lay the melancholic groundwork for the European doom movement at large — is that 1990 was a very, very long time ago. 19 years, in fact. Children have been born and graduated high school in that time. And as the two remaining founders, vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe and guitarist Andrew Craighan alone represent a great team, yes, but also one of the most important songwriting duos in metal history.

For Lies I Sire (Peaceville Records) is My Dying Bride‘s tenth full-length, and though “Echoes from a Hollow Soul” may carry that definitive MDB sadness, it’s hardly business as usual across the board. Rejuvenating Stainthorpe, Craighan and longtime guitarist Hamish Glencross are three new, younger players for whom this is their first studio output with the band; bassist Lena Ab?, drummer Dan “Storm” Mullins and keyboardist Katie Stone, who brings with her a violin that has been much missed since MDB‘s earliest days.

That alone would make it easy for this to become a novelty album, but as ever, My Dying Bride play it classy and don’t overdo it, making the instrument more of an accoutrement than a focal point.

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