Brave Murder Day / For Funerals to Come

This is the earliest work of Katatonia that I have been able to get my hands on and in my opinion it's one of their best.
Although the compositions are far more simple, the overall sound of this album is somewhat similar to Opeth's debut "Orchid" especially the lead guitar. Add to this Mikael Akerfeldt's vocals annd this is certainly an album that should appeal to fans of that band.
This is a very melancholy album (something which applies to every Katatonia album actually) and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't like sad music. Some of the lead guitar is just beautiful and again is remniscent of Opeth's first two albums.
Overall, an album that I would highly recommend.

With this release Katatonia went away from their Doomy roots and released a more simple album(really simple) but retaining the sadness and bleakness they had in the past....the music is simple with the lead guitar ala Paradise Lost taking the main sound....and i have to say that it works perfectly....the guitar sound breads lethargic harmonies and sometimes leave a hypnotizing mark on the listener....
even though the sound in this simple is weak(the production could be better) i think it was strategically made to sound this way...the sound helps the atmosphere to get more bleak and more sad...the vocals are all death metal and are done by the singer from Opeth..this guy makes the best death metal vocals for sure...only one track break this rule with clean vocals done by Jonas Renske...a masterpiece to be listened in rainy autumn days...
1.Brave-this track is a good opening track cause bassicly shows all the album has to say...the guitar work is surely impressing..10/10
2.Murder-a shorter track with a straight forward riff that rocks...again the guitar work is impressing and the vocals are cool...10/10
3.Day-this is something that will surprize you...cause it is a really sad song sung with clean vocals..the lyrics are outstanding...it has a gothic feel...but works soo nice..9/10
4.Rainroom-this track sounds more like the first two...but breeds more despair with it's faster riffs 9/10
5.12-this is a more doomy track...but is gets better and better at the end....even though is my least favourite on this album...works nice..7/10
6.Endtime-this track has one of the most beautiful guitar work i have ever heard...a really cool track,again more doomy..the intro is sooo sad and beautiful.... 10/10

finally this album is an elegant way to express emotional decay......it's a cult album and a classic among the european fans ....of course who love sad music...
my advice is to buy it...but you could listen to it first.....

This is the album where Katatonia nailed the sound of their dark, depressing metal. As far as I can tell, they have done nothing better than _Brave Murder Day_, before nor since. I also find it quite accessible compared to their other works.

This is an album truly greater than the sum of its parts. Distant, simple production, elementary guitar melodies and riffs that would probably look very dry on paper, drums and bass that are entirely bereft of frills and serving the purely utilitarian purpose of rhythmic anchor -- overall, it would seem like rather basic, amateurish stuff. And yet the end results are really amazing. Firstly, the atmosphere of this album -- generated by the melodic quality of the riffs, the dreary production sound, cold sterile rhythm section, and despondent sludgy walls of guitar -- is incredibly arresting. It is the synaesthesia of gray, which is coterminous with its sense of being "rainy day" music (listening to this album is greatly complemented by proper environment). Also the songs are perfectly executed through their structure. Songs tend to be relatively long, usually 6+ minutes, flowing through 'movements' rather than verses and choruses. Usually a key theme is repeated to resolve the song and bring a degree of added emotional clarity. The whole album is characterized by its highly economical, mood-intensive arrangements. Even though different sections may not be related to others musically, the overall emotional flow and mood-sustaining arc makes it very effective. In "Brave", the beginning and end of the piece is a riff that is almost overwrought and 'washing,' and yet when it returns at the resolution of the song it is haunting and powerful both because of its familiarity and because of the sense of resolution it brings. The starry 4/4 sprinkled guitar notes of the middle section, melodic metal frame, and the intense performance of Mikael Akerfeldt all enhance the power of the song's flow. Of course, it is also very important that Akerfeldt does the growled vocals on this album. The album is about 80% growling and this is possibly the best vocal performance of Akerfeldt (from Opeth, by the way, if you don't know) that I have heard to date. Tormented, emotive, and raw, he is integral to this album's success. The other songs aren't really worth describing entirely, since they are basically just variations on the theme, so to speak, but they are all effective, especially the distinctive loud-soft dynamics of "12" (although it's a bit of overkill on the last riff there). One track is notably different: "Day", where the band makes one of the most hypnotic metal 'ballads' out of relatively pedestrian Pod-ish guitar effects, basic chord progressions, a singer who sounds like he's about to keel over and die, and a dry static drum machine beat. "Endtime" uses some voice samples effectively, backed by ashen, somber arpeggios.

I have the version of _Brave Murder Day_ which also sports the EP _For Funerals to Come..._, which is an excellent complement to the main cd. "Funeral Weddings" and "Shades of Emerald Fields" are epic, melodic, and dreary. Unfortunately they have a few cheesy Iron Maiden-ish riffs that don't totally gel with the band's mood, but for the most part it works beautifully. The EP's title track is a mellow piece with clean electric guitar and some subtle background synths. "Epistel" is a basic noise experiment.

_Brave Murder Day_ is a fine accomplishment. If you don't like the growly vocals though, one might prefer to stick with Katatonia's albums from _Discouraged Ones_ forward (no growls, more 'gothic' sounding).