Guitarist Anders "Blakkheim" Nyström from Swedish metallers KATATONIA has issued the following studio update:

"It’s hard to believe, but it’s a fact – the rathole sessions are over, we’re done! David “King rat of the rathole” Castillo, Jonas and me have spent the longest studio sessions this far with nearly every hour of the day (or night) since we finished up with the vocals. Picture this: Mix down, reference listening, un-do, re-do, mix down, reference listening, repeat x 100. There’s always something you find to correct, whether it’s one drum hit that's not loud enough, or a backing harmony that doesn't cut through, or a frequency in the bass that makes the rathole sound like a steamboat, yeah basically hundreds of things that fight for their position and balance in the sound picture. One song even reached a staggering 136 (!) active tracks. That’s quite a contrast to the days were we were given 16 tracks for the whole package. Everything has to be optimized and you end up going back and forth improving and updating versions of the mix to replace the previous efforts and you can do this for eternity, unless you have a deadline. We just managed to complete the mix at the very last day and let me tell you, the album sounds fan-fukkin-tastic! It’s heavy, punchy and crunchy. It sounds very 3D in headphones. We put this album back to back with a couple of other band’s albums and it is either right up there sideways with them, or it simply sits with it’s azz on their faces. Crushed!

The last two days was spent on the final stage – mastering with Jens Bogren twiddling on his knobs down Fascination Street in Örebro, while we were stand-by in the rathole for urgent repairs an reference listening. Uploading and downloading the files of the whole production via ftp enabled us to communicate and do the same things we normally would, but now in two different towns. Can’t say no to ez living for the hard working modern man. After about 4 attempts, we got there. The album has now been approved by everyone. It got the green light and now in Peaceville’s hands. Our work is done, yet it has only just begun. On Saturday the band will hook up and we’ll have a private pre-listening session with some of our friends and colleagues and celebrate we’re done! Then on Monday we’ll have an official pre-listening session all day as Peaceville will fly in journo’s from the daily papers, music magazines and radio stations from around Europe. A few photo sessions will round up that night. Then next week it’s time for the mini-site to go online. Are you ready?"

Check out in-studio photos at this location.

Katatonia are set to release their latest album, Night Is The New Day, on November 10th via Peaceville Records. The highly anticipated album, from one of Europe’s premier progressive bands, Night Is The New Day is the follow up to Katatonia’s groundbreaking 2006 release, The Great Cold Distance. It is their eighth studio album to date.

The band is currently finishing up mixing the new record in their hometown of Stockholm. Although Night Is The New Day is Katatonia’s eighth album, they still continue to challenge themselves musically, always looking for ways to take their distinct, melancholy sound a step further.

“I realize that I’ve never sung this much on an album before,” explains vocalist Jonas Renkse. “Not that I’m singing all the time(don’t worry), but the vocals are much more demanding.” He admits, “My voice was already tired from the studio session, and even more tired from the gigs and I was really worried, but behind the microphone everything fell into place for that one last session.”

The band anticipates the album to be completed the first week of September, and plan to launch a mini-site (www.nightisthenewday.com) soon after with a complete track list, audio samples, and more.

The artwork for Night Is The New Day was done by Travis Smith, whom also produced the art for The Great Cold Distance, as well as numerous other Katatonia albums. Following the completion of the album, Katatonia will head out on a European tour with the likes of PORCUPINE TREE and PARADISE LOST.