Last Fair Deal Gone Down - Katatonia

Although it's still not up to the standards of the band's earlier albums, 2001's 'Last Fair Deal Gone Down' is an improvement over the bland style of its predecessor 'Tonight's Decision,' returning to a focus on strong musicianship in many songs ('Chrome' in particular) rather than merely trying to win over teenage goth girls with recycled depressive lyrics. The album is quite varied, despite all coming under the overarching style of depressive rock, and several songs contain comparatively upbeat sections, as is the case with 'Teargas' before it slows down. 'I Transpire' manages to be effectively slow and engulfing in a way that the previous album's tedious ...  Read the complete review