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
fractured
Katatonia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I held back for a while
You pushed me so hard I had to go
I tried to be strong then I failed
I would like to say this
Just in case you didn't know
I know what it's like as well
I have sold my soul
I traded it for hollow gold
The lyrics of Katatonia's song Fractured convey a sense of despair and emotional turmoil. The opening lines reveal the singer's reluctance to take a risk and try something new because of the fear of failure. However, someone else, possibly a friend, incessantly pushed the singer until they had no other option than to try, and in the end, they failed. The chorus serves as a cautionary message to others. The lyrics suggest that everything comes with a price, and in the pursuit of success, one's soul can become fractured, leaving them hollow and lost.
The second verse speaks about the singer's personal experience of selling their soul in exchange for useless riches or "hollow gold." The singer suggests that they relate to the other person's troubles, which might imply that the other person in the song might also have made the same trade for the riches of the world, which ultimately led to a fractured soul.
Overall, the lyrics of the song Fractured by Katatonia reflect a sense of hopelessness and desperation. The theme of fractured souls is prevalent throughout the song, conveying the message that it comes at a price and warns against the dangers of pursuing success at the cost of one's soul.
Line by Line Meaning
Knew I would fall if I tried
I had a feeling that if I attempted something, failure was inevitable
So I held back for a while
To avoid failing, I chose to refrain from taking any action for a brief period of time
You pushed me so hard, I had to go
Eventually, the constant pressure you placed on me was too much for me to handle, and I had to leave
I tried to be strong, then I failed
Despite my efforts to remain unyielding, eventually, I failed to keep myself together
I would like to say this
Before I continue, I feel it's important to impart this message
Just in case you didn't know
Assuming that you may not have been aware of this information
Well your soul is fractured
Your inner self is shattered and broken
I know what it's like as well
I can relate to your situation, as I have experienced a similar feeling
I have sold my soul
I have relinquished my values or beliefs for personal gain
I traded it for hollow gold
The reward I received for sacrificing my morals was ultimately meaningless or unfulfilling
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDERS NYSTROM, JONAS PETTER RENKSE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind