Customer Reviews

Teargas

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The "Teargas" EP was released prior to the "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" full length album. It contains only three tracks and runs for only 14 minutes and therefore doesn't sound like such good value. Well there are a couple of reasons why that initial assumption isn't exactly correct. Firstly, each of the three tracks to be found here are great. Secondly, two of the tracks can only be found on this EP as they were not included on the upcoming album. Well, that second statement was true until very recently. But more on that later!

The title track turned out to be one of many great songs on "Last Fair Deal Gone Down". Since it can be found on that album, it's of little interest when reviewing the Teargas EP, although it did serve its purpose at the time which was to be a taster for what was to come. The production had taken another crunchy, more metallic step up since "Tonight's Decision" came out two years earlier and Jonas' vocals are a little stronger than they were previously. All in all, things looked promising the forthcoming album would be a good one and that turned out to be absolutely correct.

But it's the other two tracks that were of more value. Sulfur is just a fantastic Katatonia track! It covers so much of what the band do so well and combines it all into a six minute ripper. It starts off with tender acoustic guitars and harmonised vocals before cutting loose with two consecutive beautiful riffs. The verses are suitably depressing and desolate, while the chorus is both powerful and passionate. If Sulfur has of been released on "Last Fair Deal Gone Down", it would have been up there with "Dispossession" and "Tonight's Music" as one of the best songs on the album.

March 4 is not quite as good as the rest of the EP's high standard, but it's also a worthy listen. These tracks are the first that the band put out with Daniel Liljekvist on drums and what a difference he made. There's so much more percussive variation than in the past and March 4 is a great example of this modification. I think this track plays it a little safe to be honest with the very typical Katatonia riff and weepy vocals. It's just made interesting by Daniel's presence.

So, is it worth tracking this now rare EP down? A year ago I would have said definitely for the track Sulfur alone. But now that the entire EP is available on the compilation "The Black Sessions" which is far more readily available than "Teargas", I'd have to say it's only for the Katatonia fan that has to own everything. And yes, that would be me!

I was sorely disappointed by "Tonight's Decision," so my inclination was not to buy "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" at all, but I picked up this MCD just to see whether I ought to change my mind. And I have - Katatonia have re-complexified their sound. The busy, crashing percussion is the first thing one notices about the first song, "Teargas." The second thing one notices is a more varied guitar sound; with two guitars Katatonia creates a more spacious rumble in which to embed their characteristic chime-y chords. The next song, "Sulfur" is more in the "Tonight's Decision" mold and is not particularly great, though acoustic sections provide some break from the monotony. The last song, "March 4" is in the "Teargas" vein, with that great percussion and a strange combination of fast tempo with sombre minor chords. I'm going out to get "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" now.