As you absorb _Dead End Kings_, you'll immediately realize what a top-notch production job has been done, but that never makes a weak album any stronger. You'll get a lovely and subtle melody on "The Parting" and some pretty nice drumming on "Leech", but on the other hand, you'll get some very weak melodies on "Leathen" and a super Tool-like opening riff on "Dead Letter". The odd time signature on "First Prayer" will hardly tickle the fancy of prog-minded folk while those who enjoy Katatonia's more vulnerable side will definitely enjoy "The One You Are Looking for Is Not Here" which features guest vocals by Silja Wergeland from The Gathering. The part I enjoyed the most was the hypnotic keyboards on the appropriately titled "Hypnone". But alas, these shining moments are few and far between.

So what went wrong? Well, I couldn't find enough moments of that fragile musical beauty that Katatonia is known for to convince me that _Dead End Kings_ is a step forward. The level of musicianship is pretty much the same except for the keyboards, which were a bit of a surprise for me. _Night Is the New Day_, even with some of its average moments, provided more depth and uniformity than this effort. _Dead End Kings_ is a very safe album, in terms of composition, construction and production. It's an entirely unadventurous forty-eight minute affair that delivers Renkse's staple sedated vocals, Liljekvist's predictable drumming and Blakkheim's slow-morphing riffs; all in abundance, if I may add. I don't know about you, but it looks like my relationship with Katatonia has entered a dark stage.