Katatonia, Evergrey, Klogr
Katatonia, Evergrey, Klogr
Manchester Academy 2
December 7th 2025
Live Review by Oli Gonzalez
Katatonia. Another fine metal export from Sweden. Though rather than following in the melodic death metal footsteps of Amon Amarth, At The Gates, In Flames and other bands of that ilk which you normally associate with the nation, Katatonia have offered more a gloomy progressive metal take on the genre. I had seen them perform at Damnation Festival 2023 on the offer side of the city. Though on that night, their set was marred with technical issues and thus was nowhere near the optimal introduction to the band for me. Though since then, they’ve released new material in the shape of album “Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State”. I thoroughly enjoyed this and thus decided to get down and check out the band for the second time in my home city. They came armed with support from Klogr and Evergrey, creating a fine progressive metal package.
Klogr
How to pronounce the name sparked some curious debates amongst me and my friends. Opinion was divided, though we were unanimous in our assessment of the bands performance; they rocked! They sounded tight as hell, melodic when they needed, heavy and punishing when they wanted. Vocalist Gabrielle was the icing on the cake with a powerful set of pipes on him, gravelly and fierce in his approach. They made full use of the lighting display which served to enhance their performance. A name we won’t be forgetting quickly.
https://www.facebook.com/klogr
Evergrey
The second Swedish act of the night, a name I had seen circling around but had never really check out. Until a few weeks prior to this show. Songs like ‘Where August Mourns’ and ‘Falling From The Sun’ were binged heavily, namely for their instantly memorable and soaring choruses. You’d better believe I was excited when they made their way into the set; apologies to anybody who had to suffer my horrid out of tune singing as I belted out those choruses. This was symptomatic of a band who sounded phenomenal, well drilled, were melodic enough to be radio friendly but heavy enough to ensure handling with care. On guitar tonight was Manchester’s own Stephen Platt, deputising behind the axe for this tour, after making a name for himself with Collibus, and also being part of Devin Townsend’s backing band for the Canadian’s headline slot at Bloodstock 2021. They finished the set with ‘Oxygen’, after only 45 minutes. 45 minutes didn’t feel long enough, which says it all about how much I loved this set.
https://www.facebook.com/Evergrey
Katatonia
Time for the headline act. The packed out Manchester Academy 2 was catered to their needs as headliners. Would this extra prep ensure a better performance than 2 years prior at Damnation? The short answer; a resounding yes! See, Katatonia have always amazed me. They can be so punishing and brutal at times, especially when the guitars, bass, and drums lock in with merciless precision for songs like ‘Forsaker’. Yet there’s always a wonderfully inviting sense of melody in there, and a air of calmness provided by Jonas’ vocals. There was a fine blend of newer material as well as some of the older classics like ‘Lethean’, which provided full value for a good old sing along. 90 minutes went faster than 90 minutes normally does. A much finer presentation for the band and reaffirms why they are considered legends and standard bearers for the progressive metal genre.
https://www.facebook.com/katatonia
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