Main menu
Fretplay home Submit tabs

Katatonia
Katatonia tabs Katatonia discography

Channels
Guitar channel Bass channel Guitar videos Reviews

Message Forum
Guitar forum Bass forum Bands and artists Promote your band Recent discussions All categories

Fretplay.com

Katatonia guitar tabs

CD reviews

Last Fair Deal Gone Down

Katatonia - Last Fair Deal Gone Down Audio CD

A fair review of the Katatonia "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Katatonia reviews here, or go back to the Katatonia tabs.

Band: Katatonia
Title: Last Fair Deal Gone Down
Rating:

Release Date: 2001-05-08
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Dispossession 2: Chrome 3: We Must Bury You 4: Teargas 5: Transpire 6: Tonight's Music 7: Clean Today 8: Future of Speech 9: Passing Bird 10: Sweet Nurse 11: Don't Tell a Soul

Katatonia continue to evolve and release their most mature album to date.
Sure, there are certain ingredients that have remained built into their output since day one, with the desolate sadness and despair mixed with exquisite melodies prevailing throughout their existence. Over the years, this Swedish band has simply refused to rest on their laurels. Yet they continue to evolve with every release and "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" is no exception. Just as "Discouraged Ones" witnessed Katatonia shedding their skin and branching out from the wondrously hypnotic doom /death of "Brave Murder Day" into a more dreary suicidal rock outfit, "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" evolves further still with a level of professionalism and maturity not prevalent on prior albums.

Almost every aspect of the band improved for this recording and I consider it to be one of their very best albums. It may not be immediately obvious what the differences are that I speak of, but it comes down to the basics. The percussion for starters is far more varied and interesting than ever before, which transforms the somewhat repetitive nature of the more hypnotic sections into a totally different beast. Jonas' vocals are without doubt far superior to prior releases, leaving the awkward uncertainness behind for a much more confident and convincing performance and without losing the vulnerabilities that define his style. The guitars are heavier, have a much better sound and contain some truly breathtaking melodies ("I Transpire" for example). There is much more variation in this new Katatonia, no longer relying on similar moods for each of their tracks. The assumingly tongue in cheek "We Will Bury You" and "Sweet Nurse" for example break up the more typically Katatonia "The Future of Speech" and the magnificent "Tonight's Music".

As you can probably tell by now, I love "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" and while I will always miss their old "Brave Murder Day" sound, I simply cannot complain when every album they record is so consistently good. They continue to evolve while staying true to what made them so unique and emotionally affecting in the first place. Which is certainly a lot more than can be said about so many other bands that either remain stagnant or isolate their fan-base entirely over the years.

You should own this album
Do you like your music dark, depressing, gloomy and angst-filled? Then you should have this album in your collection. By and far, the best Katatonia album. LFDGD is leaps and bounds beyond anything the band has recorded thus far. Songs about alienation, depression, loneliness . . . it's all here. Entwining evocative, moody vocals and superb muscianship, Katatonia have raised the bar, not only for themselves, but for everyone else. In these days of rap/metal's chugging riffs, it's almost a joy to hear an actual . . . guitar solo (gasp!). You owe it to your music collection to get this album. Katatonia have bared their souls on this excellent album.

Some of the standout tracks include Dispossession, Tonight's Music, The Future of Speech, Passing Bird and my personal favorite, My Sweet Nurse.

Marvelously Tragic
If you listened to Brave Murder Day and then this album, you wouldn't believe it was the same band. Katatonia is another band who has transcended from one genre of music into an entirely different one, and as with many other bands who go through this maturing process, it's been for the better. Whereas Brave Murder Day was pretty much straight up death metal, and not all that intense or talented at that, Last Fair Deal Gone Down is moody, melodic, tragic, and most of all, mellow rock/metal with strictly clean vocals. Considering that many lovers of extreme metal in any of its forms are very closed minded, some people might not like this, but if you can appreciate well, written music that just plain sounds good, this is a great investment for you. Sweet Nurse, Passing Bird, and the opening track, Dispossession are my favorites on this cd, but unlike many albums, there arent any bad songs on this one. You can play it straight through and enjoy every minute of it. Buy this now.

Best. Album. Ever.
I've listened to this album all the way through more than eighty times so far. I've listened to this album to the point where the 'catchiness' has completely worn off and I'm left with nothing but a total fascination that any handful of people could create something so deeply emotive with such stunning musicianship. I can't say I've listened to ANY CD in my collection for anywhere close to that. This is what music is all about.

Every song is excellent. Not only that, but the flow of the album is perfect. You can't help but go from one song to the next. You just can't skip any song. Few bands know how to create a perfect flow on an album and fewer still have the humility enough to throw out perfectly good material just because those songs couldn't keep the right flow to the album - and if you've heard the two songs on the Teargas EP, you'll know that they threw out some excellent songs.

I have tried, but cannot categorize this album. It seems to draw on traditional rock music while adding the best elements of newer rock. Their songs seem totally familiar and catchy, while still seeming totally ground breaking and fresh. The melodies are beautiful, but left-of-center with their off key touches at just the right places to create very vivid emotions. You almost won't notice it, but you will feel it. They are as heavy and oppressive as many metal bands, but strangely, they don't seem at all metal. I could swear they're on the verge of inventing a new style of music.

This should be in every music lover's collection. Peaceville placed a sticker on the front of the digipack that proclaimed it "the best Peaceville album ever" and I don't think it says enough. It is simply the best album I've ever heard.

everyone needs this album
there is simply no reason why such quality music should go unnoticed in the united states. moody rock/metal band katatonia have released a masterpiece. last fair deal gone down will appeal to fans of bush and soundgarden to fans of moonspell and samael.

if this is your first experience with katatonia, buy this album! then move on to tonight's decision and discouraged ones. their first two albums: Dance of December Souls and Brave Murder Day are pretty much irrelevant for katatonia in 2001.

You can see a complete list of all Katatonia discography, or go back to the Katatonia tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.