Katatonia

‘Stagnation’ is not a word in the Katatonia dictionary. Since breaking through as masters of death/doom, Stockholm’s freethinkers have transcended genre, consolidating goth, shoegaze and prog into bleak, melodic songs. Now, after three decades of invention and reinvention, Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State marks another bold leap – not to mention singer, founder and lead songwriter Jonas Renkse’s most personal effort to date.

Following the immediate anthem-making of City Burials (2020) and Sky Void of Stars (2023), Katatonia’s 13th album gets more experimental and more metal without holding back on catchiness. The dark hooks and tender vocals remain, yet the band also drive in unpredictable directions while delivering their hardest riffs in years. It’s an indelible introduction to new guitarists Nico Elgstrand and Sebastian Svalland, who replace longtime member Roger Öjersson and co-founder Anders Nyström.

“Nightmares… is a very riff-based and very guitar-heavy album,” says Jonas. “When I was writing it, I knew that we would have a couple of new guitar players coming in. And, if you have two guitarists joining, you don’t want to present them with songs that are 60 percent keyboards. Maybe I subconsciously felt that I had to come up with some cool riffs so that they’d still want to join the band!”

The force and fearlessness throughout Nightmares… is clear from the start of the very first track, ‘Thrice’. Thunderous chords give way to an ambient verse, before the music builds back up to a wall of open-string chugs. On ‘The Light Which I Bleed’, Nico and Sebastian lead a loose, proggy jam that ratchets into a hard-hitting doom riff. ‘Wind of No Change’ even bridges the present and Katatonia’s earliest past, bassist Niklas Sandin and drummer Daniel Moilanen laying down a goth pulse while Jonas croons “Hail Satan” in a throwback to the band’s extreme metal roots.

“I just had this riff going, and I thought it had a bit of a heavy metal feel to it, or even a Slayer vibe,” the frontman explains. “And then I thought, maybe I should write something Satanic, because I haven’t really touched that with Katatonia since we did our first demo.”

In the lengthy Katatonia tradition of keeping listeners on their toes, Nightmares… also packs songs which rebel against the rest of the album. The verses of ‘Departure Trails’ de-emphasise the six-string, with the ballad stacking layers of keyboards and synths to near-symphonic levels. Meanwhile, ‘Warden’ boasts one of the most pop-friendly choruses in their catalogue.

Jonas calls his band’s ongoing rejection of musical rules “subconscious”. He adds, “Touring is great, but it gets tedious if you play the same old style of songs all the time. You want to change it up in some way, and I think it’s the same with the records.”

In October 2024, Katatonia holed up in a converted church in rural Sweden owned by Tore Stjerna (Mayhem, Watain, Tribulation) to track drums, then recorded the rest of the instruments in their own studio in Stockholm. All the while, Jonas was getting closer and closer to his 50th birthday and found himself in a reflective mood. “I’ve been like that for the last couple of years, especially last year,” he admits. “50, it’s a big number, and I’ve been doing this for so long now.”

That introspection manifests across this new set of songs. After coming up with the album’s title, Jonas penned ‘In the Event Of’: the climactic finale narrates a nightmare he had more than 10 years ago, with a soundtrack of ominous synths and sorrowful chords. The artwork of Nightmares… is a direct illustration of those lyrics.

“It was supposed to be day, but it was super dark,” Jonas remembers of his haunting dream. “Looking at the sky, you could see flashes of fire behind dark clouds. And there were chains coming from the sky. The last line of the song is, ‘Mothers waiting in rows for the shadows of their children.’ I could see fences, a place where you would keep people captured, and mothers standing there, waiting for their children to come back.”

Just as soul-bearing, if not more so, is lead single ‘Lilac’, which voices a desire to forget painful memories. Jonas also sings in his own language for just the second time ever during ambient piece ‘Efter Solen’, which he co-wrote with Joakim Karlsson, a close friend and collaborator in synth-rock project Korda.

He reveals, “It’s the first song we ever worked on together, and it wasn’t done. While I was writing this album, Joakim was on to me, saying, ‘We should finish that song! I want it finished because it’s so good.’ I said, ‘Yeah, but maybe we should use it on the new Katatonia album.’ When I was finishing the song, I was so used to hearing it in Swedish that I had to write the rest of the lyrics like that.”

Now more than a dozen albums deep into a 30-year-plus career, Katatonia’s well of inspiration still hasn’t run dry. If anything, Nightmares… is one of the bravest and most vulnerable releases to bear their name. And, going forward, the band’s confidence will only continue to grow, thanks to the new blood in their ranks.

“This is a great place to be in,” Jonas says of the Katatonia of 2025. “Inspiration-wise, it’s so good to be surrounded with people that come in with energy and ideas and a strong will to take part, to take the band further. I want people to feel at home in this band and feel like we’re making a difference together.”

– Matt Mills, March 2025

Primus

Primus is a rock band formed in California in the mid-1980s by two ex-members of thrash metal band Blind Illusion, Les Claypool and Larry Lalonde. Les (vocals and bass guitar) has been the only constant member. They have had two guitar players (although Larry has held onto the role for the past 16 years) and many different drummers (although Tim Alexander and Bryan Mantia were the only ones who recorded with the band, and Jay Lane was the only other one who had creative impact) in the past.

Their music has proven difficult to define; while usually considered by critics to be funk-metal or alternative metal, Primus has been called everything from "thrash funk" (as the band blends funk-style bass technique with thrash influenced guitar riffs and songs tempos), to "alternative rock" to "the Freak Brothers set to music." Les Claypool himself once described their music as "psychedelic polka." Thanks to the diversity of their sound they have been able to gain fans from nearly all rock subgenres. Primus is the only band to have their own ID3 genre tag in Winamp. They are characterized by their irreverent approach to music — they release their records on Claypool's Prawn Song Records label, a parody of Led Zeppelin's Swan Song, and their catchphrase was, for several years, "Primus Sucks!". In 2003 the band dropped that catchphrase, as well as Tim Alexander's nickname "Herb".

Early Days (1984–1991)
Primus began as Primate in the mid-1980s with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth. Drummer Peter Libby was added in later, although the band would go through many other drummers throughout their early history. They formed in El Sobrante, California, United States. After rising to local music scene stardom with their brand of funk/metal fusion, Huth and current drummer Jay Lane left in 1989 to pursue other projects. Claypool recruited death metal guitarist and one time Joe Satriani student Larry LaLonde (usually referred to as "Ler" later) and eclectic drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander. Primus gained even greater popularity and soon released their first album, Suck on This, a live recording culled from two of their Berkeley concerts. The album was financed by Les' father.

In their early days, Primus were heavily associated with the Bay Area Thrash scene. Opening for bands such as Testament and Exodus they picked up a following of fans who were involved in the scene as a result. Today, Primus is one of few "alt-metal" bands commonly enjoyed by "true metal" fans, perhaps as a result of this.

It is an infamous fact that after the death of their bassist Cliff Burton in 1986, Metallica strongly considered Les Claypool (a close friend of the band) to be Cliff's replacement. After much deliberation, James Hetfield decided that Claypool was "too funky for Metallica", and Jason Newsted was chosen instead. The rest, for both Metallica and Primus, is history.

Primus played a number of early shows at Barrington Hall, a notoriously free-wheeling Berkeley student housing co-operative. Barrington Hall is often referenced in the band's music: the song "Frizzle Fry" refers to a Barrington party, and the album Tales from the Punchbowl refers to the LSD-spiked punch that was frequently served at Barrington social events.

In 1990 the band released their first studio album, Frizzle Fry also on Prawn Song and released singles for "John the Fisherman" and "Too Many Puppies." With a music video — featuring Kirk Hammett — a studio album, and a tour with Jane's Addiction, Primus's popularity grew to the point where they attracted attention from Interscope Records, who signed them in 1990.

Peak Years (1991–1996)
Primus' major label debut was Sailing the Seas of Cheese supported by singles "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver," and "Tommy the Cat (featuring Tom Waits)," which both appeared on MTV (a third single "Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers" was also released but did not feature a video). The band also appeared in Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey and made music for Beavis & Butthead. With a major label behind them, Sailing the Seas of Cheese went gold and the band toured in support of Rush, U2, Anthrax, and Public Enemy. Today, Sailing the Seas of Cheese is considered an alternative rock classic by many critics.

After the release of Sailing the Seas of Cheese, in 1992 Primus released a cover song EP Miscellaneous Debris, with their version of XTC's "Making Plans for Nigel" managing to break airwaves.

In 1993, Primus released Pork Soda, which managed to debut at #7 on the Billboard Top 10. The album was darker than previous Primus efforts, dealing with murder, suicide, and alienation. The band has commented that prior to recording, they had been touring for nearly two solid years and were thus in a somber mood. "My Name Is Mud", "DMV", and "Mr. Krinkle" were hits, the latter inspiring a video featuring Claypool in a pig suit and tuxedo playing upright bass in an abandoned warehouse as a carnival of oddities parades behind him, including Claypool's wife and her twin sister. The band reportedly put their heart and soul into the video, but it received next to no airtime on MTV.

Pork Soda also carries the distinction of being the first full length album recorded at Claypool's house. The band would subsequently record all of their albums in his home studio.

In 1993, Primus headlined the alternative rock festival Lollapalooza. They also made an appearance at the Woodstock '94 Music Festival where they performed "My Name is Mud" with predictable results (Claypool claims to still have mud in his speakers). It was clear that Primus-mania was growing, and the band was churning out material frequently. In the previous four years they had released three albums, an EP, six music videos, and a home video. To top that all off, they toured with Rush, who they consider to be one of their biggest influences.

During a lull in 1994, the original Primus lineup consisting of Claypool, Huth, and Lane reunited to record Riddles are Abound Tonight under the band name Sausage. Among the pre-Primus songs they recorded were "Temporary Phase", "Prelude to Fear", and "Shattering Song." The video to "Riddles Are Abound Tonight" featured the band in blue leotards performing on stationary bicycles.

In 1995, Primus released their fifth album, Tales from the Punchbowl. It was very well received and contained Primus's most successful single to date, the Grammy-nominated "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver." The ubiquitous song was accompanied by an equally ubiquitous video with the band members dressed up in cartoonish plastic cowboy costume (similar to the suits worn in the then current Duracell battery commercials). So great was their popularity that the band was invited to perform on David Letterman and Conan O'Brien's shows. Two other less successful singles, "Mrs. Blaileen" and "Southbound Pachyderm" (the latter of which featured a claymation video that apparently only got played on MTV a small number of times) were also released.

Many falsely believed "Wynona" was about actress Winona Ryder. Claypool has acknowledged several times that the song is not about Ryder, indicating that the song's name is spelled and pronounced differently. While this placated Ryder, her then boyfriend Soul Asylum vocalist David Pirner took offense and renamed one of his songs "Les Claypool's a Big Fucking Asshole" in concert. Claypool was apparently not even aware of this at the time, although this did cause tension between fans of Primus and Soul Asylum for a brief period.

Mantia Era & Hiatus (1997–2002)
Disturbed by their sudden fame, Primus gradually began to disown "Wynona." It would not be long before Claypool stated that they would stop playing it altogether. Nonetheless, Alexander left the band in 1996 due to creative differences. Rumored replacements for Alexander included Mike Bordin of Faith No More, but in the end he was replaced by Bryan "Brain" Mantia of Limbomaniacs and Praxis. Mantia was one of the many drummers Claypool auditioned for the original line-up of Primus before settling with Alexander — Mantia bowed out beforehand due to a foot injury.

With Mantia aboard, Primus was asked in 1997 to compose the theme song to South Park after the show's creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone professed to be big fans. (Les Claypool was an early supporter of their Spirit of Christmas video postcard/demo.) Primus also contributed to the South Park "Chef Aid" album with the song "Mephisto and Kevin", telling the story of Gopherboy. By this time, bands that were influenced by Primus's bottom-heavy rock — such as Tool, KoЯn, and Limp Bizkit— were starting to gain a growing audience in the alternative metal genre which Primus had helped to promote.

1997's Brown Album was a departure from previous Primus leaving the majority of fans disappointed. Critically, it was Primus's least successful album, having received, for the most part, adverse reviews. Commercially it did not do as well as previous efforts. Both singles "Shake Hands With Beef" and "Over the Falls" flopped. The band would later distance itself from the album. Claypool would go so far as to comment in concert, "does anyone want to hear anything from the Brown Album? Me neither."

Antipop was released in 1999, and was the first album to feature heavy input from outside musicians and producers. The album was seen as a 'return to form' by most long term Primus fans, featuring harder edge song-writing fans had been craving as well as greatly improved production over the previous album. The band toured with Ozzfest and released a video for "Lacquerhead" that was banned from MTV because of its drug content, even though it was an anti-drug song.

In 2000, Primus performed a cover of the Black Sabbath classic "N.I.B." with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals. This track appeared originally on the album "Nativity in Black, Vol. 2: A Tribute to Black Sabbath". The single hit number 2 on the Billboard Modern Rock tracks, the band's highest charting single in nearly a decade. The track would later be released on Ozzy's Prince of Darkness box-set in 2005.

After touring to promote Antipop throughout 2000, citing studio mismanagement and general dissatisfaction, Primus went on indefinite hiatus in 2001.

During the hiatus, Alexander released two albums with the band Laundry and performed with Blue Man Group, A Perfect Circle, and Born Naked, among others. Claypool explored the jam band scene with Oysterhead (featuring his friend Trey Anastasio of Phish as well as Stewart Copeland) and his own Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade. He also collaborated with Mantia in Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains. LaLonde joined Mantia to produce two experimental No Forcefield records, and tried unsuccessfully to start a recording studio.

Reformation (2003–Present)
In late 2003, Claypool reunited with LaLonde and, in a surprise move, Tim Alexander to record a DVD/EP called Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People, which Claypool described as the first DVD with supplementary music, as opposed to the contrary. The band staged a two month tour in which they performed two sets per show, the second consisting of their 1991 release Sailing the Seas of Cheese in its entirety. 2004 saw them continue touring, and even performing their 1990 release Frizzle Fry in its entirety. For these two tours, the band sold recordings directly recorded from the sound-board online, following an example of other bands such as Phish. The performance in Chicago was video taped as well, and was released on the 'Hallucino-Genetics' Live DVD. The band's style as of their last EP was based on the jam band style with extended soloing from band members and less focus on lyrics. This follows the musical evolution of Les Claypool's work during the Primus hiatus, it is unknown whether this style was simply temporary or if the band has permanently switched over to it.

On July 19, 2005, it was announced that Primus was going to release a new full-length album by spring of 2006 with an international tour following shortly thereafter. The release would have been the first full-length Primus album since 1999's Antipop, and the first full-length album with Alexander on drums since 1995's Tales From the Punchbowl.

Later that year, the band performed at Lollapalooza in July and Vegoose in October while still spending time recording new songs; no new tracks were performed at these festivals.

As spring of 2006 came and went, Primus' reported new album did not materialize. The band has been tight-lipped about the album's progress, although an update on Tim Alexander's website stated that he was still working on new Primus material at the time.

Primus performed at the 1st Annual Hedgpeth Festival in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin that year in July. No new tracks were performed, and no word was given by any of the members regarding the new album.

October 17th saw the release of the band's first ever greatest hits compilation album They Can't All Be Zingers on Interscope Records as well as a DVD released on Prawn Song Records called Blame It on the Fish: An Abstract Look at the 2003 Primus Tour De Fromage. The DVD contained live footage from the band's 2003 reunion tour, interview segments, behind the scenes footage, and other assorted material including a 30 minute mockumentary about the band in 2065.

In November 2006, the band commenced the month-long Primus: The Beat a Dead Horse Tour 2006. During the tour, Primus began performing "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" for the first time in 7 years. The music video game Guitar Hero 2 for the Playstation 2 was also released in November and featured the Primus song "John the Fisherman." The game would later be released for the Xbox 360 in April 2007.

In 2008, Primus continued their post-hiatus trend of performing at large outdoor festivals when they played the Rothbury Music Festival over the July 4th weekend in Rothbury, Michigan and the Outside Lands Festival during late-August in San Fransisco, California.

Side Projects
Since reuniting in 2003, the band members have balanced their Primus duties with a number of various other projects. Les Claypool continues to tour and record with his "Fancy" band. They have released one full-length album, Of Whales and Woes (2006), and a live DVD, Fancy (2007). Claypool has also tried his hand at cinema, writing and directing the jam band spoof Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo (2006), and playing the role of a preacher in James Isaac's indie horror film Pig Hunt (2008). He also published his first novel, South of the Pumphouse (2006), and even started his own wine company, Claypool Cellars.

Tim Alexander released the debut album titled This Is a Dream from his project Fata Morgana, which was written, produced, and almost entirely performed by Alexander. He is also playing shows and recording material with his other group Into The Presence consisting of Nicki Tedesco and Luis Carlos Maldonado. Both albums feature a number of guest performers, many of whom Alexander has worked with at one time or another throughout his career.

Larry LaLonde joined the touring band for System of a Down vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Serj Tankian in 2007 in support of Serj's debut solo album, Elect the Dead, which also subsequentally features several appearances by former Primus drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia.

Behemoth

As they conjure new, dark compositions, DIMMU BORGIR take a retrospective look back, celebrating the band's 30th Anniversary and the seminal artists that left a defining imprint on their sound.

Conceived in the heart of the Norwegian black metal scene in 1993, DIMMU BORGIR quickly broke free from the boundaries of the genre, daring to combine a traditional raven black sound with opulent symphonic orchestration. They became pioneers within their own field, forging groundbreaking albums such as Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997), Spiritual Black Dimensions (1999), & Death Cult Armageddon (2003), invading the entire world with headline tours and eventually turning into the most influential act of their genre after nine full-length studio releases. 

After their last two successful albums Abrahadabra and Eonian and the remixed version of Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia, DIMMU BORGIR herald their 30-year legacy by releasing, together for the first time, a collection of their cover songs. Inspiratio Profanus features a cover of Black Metal (VENOM), the genre-defining Perfect Strangers (DEEP PURPLE), fan favourite Burn In Hell (TWISTED SISTER), and electrifying renditions from the legendary CELTIC FROST, as well as other immensely influential artists!

Cradle of Filth

This is the official Alcest Bandsintown profile.

Sisters Of Mercy

The Sisters of Mercy (formed in 1977) is an English gothic rock and post-punk rock band who rose to prominence in the 1980s following their debut, hailing from Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.

Wardruna

www.wardruna.com

Body Count

Body Count is a two time nominated, one time Grammy Award winning American metal band from Los Angeles, California. The group is fronted by Ice-T, who co-founded the group with lead guitarist Ernie-C. Their controversial self-titled debut album was released on Sire Records in 1992. Body Count released their latest studio album "Carnivore" on March 6, 2020 on Century Media Records. The Los Angeles based band is currently mixing their new album entitled "Merciless due" due out in 2024. Catch them on their European tour starting in June, 2024

Katatonia

Performers