Katatonia is a Swedish doom metal band formed in Stockholm in 1991 by Jonas… Read Full Bio ↴Katatonia is a Swedish doom metal band formed in Stockholm in 1991 by Jonas Renkse and Anders Nyström. The band started as a studio-only project for the duo, as an outlet for the band's love of death metal/doom metal. Increasing popularity led them to add more band members for live performances, though outside of the band's founders, the lineup was a constantly changing, revolving door of musicians throughout the 1990s, notably including Mikael Åkerfeldt of the band Opeth for a period. After two death/doom albums, Dance of December Souls (1993) and Brave Murder Day (1996), problems with Renkse's vocal cords coupled with new musical influences led the band away from the screamed vocals of death metal to a sound combining elements of doom metal, alternative metal and progressive metal.

The band released two more albums, Discouraged Ones (1998) and Tonight's Decision (1999), before settling into a stable quintet lineup for all of the 2000s. The band released four more albums with said lineup: Last Fair Deal Gone Down (2001), Viva Emptiness (2003), The Great Cold Distance (2006) and Night Is the New Day (2009), with the band slowly moving away from their metal sound while adding more progressive rock sounds to their work over time. While lineup changes started up again into the 2010s, Renkse and Nyström persisted, and the band continued on to release their ninth and tenth studio albums, Dead End Kings (2012) and The Fall of Hearts (2016). After touring in support of the album through 2017, the band entered a hiatus at the beginning of 2018. The band returned from their hiatus in February 2019, with their eleventh studio album, City Burials, released in April 2020 and twelfth studio album, Sky Void of Stars (2023).

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katatonia

Studio albums
Dance of December Souls (1993)
Brave Murder Day (1996)
Discouraged Ones (1998)
Tonight's Decision (1999)
Last Fair Deal Gone Down (2001)
Viva Emptiness (2003)
The Great Cold Distance (2006)
Night Is the New Day (2009)
Dead End Kings (2012)
The Fall of Hearts (2016)
City Burials (2020)
Sky Void of Stars (2023)

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Katatonia was a Polish death/thrash metal band. They released one demo, "It's Only a Dream", in 1993 before splitting up. See here: https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Katatonia/55254

Stalemate
Katatonia Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What am I supposed to be
In my life
In your life
In our life
In this life

I shut the door an closed my sight
At the end of the day

It's not the way what it used to be
There's no way I'll see

The beginning of things to come
Trapped in the ways of the weak

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Katatonia's "Stalemate" may seem abstract at first, but they express a feeling of uncertainty and confusion about one's purpose in life. The lines "What am I supposed to be/In my life/In your life/In our life/In this life" highlight the existential question that many of us ask ourselves at some point. The song seems to mourn the loss of a clearer sense of direction or purpose that the singer used to have, as indicated by the line "It's not the way what it used to be." The phrase "trapped in the ways of the weak" may suggest that the singer feels constrained by societal norms or other people's expectations and is struggling to break free.

The image of the singer shutting the door and closing their sight is intriguing and can be interpreted in various ways. It could suggest a desire to retreat from the world and avoid confronting difficult questions, or it could indicate a sense of being overwhelmed and needing to take a break from external stimuli. The phrase "at the end of the day" could also be read as a reminder that despite all the uncertainty and confusion, life goes on and we must eventually face our problems.

In conclusion, "Stalemate" is a poignant exploration of the human condition, particularly of the struggle to find meaning and purpose in life. Katatonia's lyrics express a sense of frustration and weariness, but also a glimmer of hope that things may improve in the future.

Line by Line Meaning

What am I supposed to be
What is my true purpose in life?

In my life
What is expected of me for my own growth?

In your life
What is expected of me in fulfilling your expectations?

In our life
What is expected of me in fulfilling our shared goals and dreams?

In this life
What is my contribution to this world during my short time here?

I shut the door an closed my sight
I have refused to see the reality of my situation and have hidden myself away.

At the end of the day
Despite all that has happened, I am still stuck with the same problem.

It's not the way what it used to be
Things have changed and will never be the same again.

There's no way I'll see
I do not have the ability or opportunity to see things differently.

The beginning of things to come
There is no hope for a fresh start or a better future.

Trapped in the ways of the weak
I am stuck in a cycle of self-defeat and am unable to break free.