Katatonia – Powerstation, 4 October 2026: Review & Photo Galleries

5th October 2026

Sunday nights were made for worshipping at the altar of the rock gods, so it was rather appropriate that Katatonia kicked off their latest Australasian tour in Auckland last night.

For many of the old school fans of the Stockholm band who were formed back in 1991, this show has been a long time coming, the group not having been here since 2010 for the No Sleep Til Auckland festival. Sadly this second visit to Aotearoa would be sans one of the founding members, guitarist Anders Nystrӧm, who left the band in 2025.

But be that as it may, Katatonia were still present and ready to give their New Zealand fans what they had been waiting for, a long awaited dose of dark, atmospheric, progressive metal.

Against a black backdrop featuring their iconic white imagery of a Scandinavian bird in flight, the symbol itself representing freedom and mystery as well as death and melancholy, the band filed out to appreciative cheers and fists raised in the air. There was an overwhelming feeling of camaraderie, and the band obviously picked up on it too as the smiles on their faces widened before they began to play their opening track Thrice from their latest album Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State released last year.

In many ways it is rather poignant that they began with one of their latest offerings, as this record is the first without the creative juices of Nystӧm, which means that the pressure is somewhat laid firmly upon fellow founding member and vocalist for the band Jonas Renske. The result is a far more subdued sound, but one that continues to tick the boxes for many of their followers.

Moving backwards through their discography, Birds from Sky Void Of Stars was up next, the songs majestic and ethereal intro sweeping through the audience, as Renske’s vocals cut through perfectly, enveloping the listener.

Katatonia currently consists of the aforementioned Renske on vocals, latest additions Nico Elgstrand and Sebastian Svalland on guitars and backing vocals, Daniel Moilanen better known as Mojjo on drums and long standing member Niklas Sandin on his headless bass.

While together the band are a masterclass in technical ability, the guitar work alone often leaving you impressed that a humans fingers can do that with a musical instrument, there was a slight lack of something. The set was great, but not mind-blowing, there was cohesiveness, but it lacked a little passion.

This could of course be chalked up to traveling distance (New Zealand isn’t exactly that close to Sweden, nor Japan where they just recently played a couple of days ago) and fatigue. And it wasn’t for lack of effort either, each member was giving 110%. It just missed that touch of magic that it needed to take it to the next level.

But there were still plenty of treats to be had, with Katatonia delivering no less than fourteen songs in their main set list. Consternation from The Great Cold Distance was brilliant, the audience – who were locked in from the moment the band appeared – collectively nodding their heads along to the faster paced intro, the song itself embracing a far heavier sound that was visceral in its delivery. Dead Letters continued this heaviness before blending in a more melodic overtone to the song, Renske’s vocals impressively holding their own as he circled around his guitarists and moved across the stage

Addressing those present, Renske spoke of how it had been a long time since they were last here and that it was far more nerve racking to be coming back to do a headliner show rather than a festival. But seeing the room “filled out,” had made them all very happy.

He then went on to say that because of this they wanted to play their “hit song,” correcting himself, as no self-respecting European metal band bases their careers on something like that, he stated that it was a song that had received more than a few thousand plays on Spotify.

That song was of course was My Twin, again from The Great Cold Distance, a heart-wrenching track about the collapse of a relationship, and the realisation that they have moved on without you.

Old Heart Falls carried on the theme of regret, the song focusing more on the melancholic feelings stirred by the toll that time, aging, and sorrow can take on one’s heart; Lethean also along the same topic lines, which made for sombre thoughts in some ways, but an overwhelming sense of satisfaction watching Katatonia bring these songs to life on stage, their execution of each almost flawless.

Rounding out the set with Untrodden, Renske declared it would be their last track, but the audience were not going to let them go that easily, feet stomping and chants of “one more song” filling the air.

Katatonia soon reappeared, smiles on each of their faces as they gifted their fans not one but a two song encore in the form of In The White and Forsaker, the combination of the two like standing on a windswept coastal beach; evocative in their very nature and delivery.

Where this current line-up of Katatonia will take their sound remains to be seen, in the meantime, they are well worth seeing live for this set list and musical prowess alone.