Katatonia are a band often accused of “selling out,” which is kind of unfair when you consider the band’s departure from their first two death metal albums was because vocalist Jonas Renske lost his ability to growl due to vocal strain. Katatonia had no choice but to change their style, showing once again that “selling out” is often used misguidedly. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Also, I’m kind of glad Renske lost his death growls, because Katatonia got better afterwards. Does that make me a sociopath?

Discouraged Ones is Katatonia’s first “sellout” album. Jonas Renske, searching for a new voice, decides to take someone else’s instead: Robert Smith. If you ever wondered what The Cure doing metal would sound like, Discouraged Ones is probably the closest example you’ll get. To my surprise, I think this is the best Katatonia album I’ve heard. There’s no real secret to it: the riffs are the coolest, and the murky gothic atmosphere gives them more personality than the clearer production and vocals of later albums. When the loud, heavy riffs break through the dampness of the verses, they leave a stronger impression. Discouraged Ones is some of the best nocturnal metal you can get.