Katatonia, Evergrey & Klogr in Frankfurt
12.12.25 Frankfurt Batschkapp, Germany
One glance at the billing made it clear that tonight’s concert would be dominated by melancholy and gloom: The masters of darkness, Katatonia, had put together an extremely sublime package for all fans of melancholic sounds with their compatriots Evergrey and the Italians Klogr, and it was exciting to see how many fans would turn up at Frankfurt’s Batschkapp this evening to enjoy the sounds of sadness.
Despite its power, Klogr‘s alternative/progressive metal cannot be denied a certain degree of melancholy, so it was a bit of a shame that the venue was only sparsely filled when their musical performance began. Fortunately that changed quickly, and more and more fans came to watch the enthusiastic performance and really enjoyed the Italians’ thoroughly positive show. Klogr performed at a high musical level and presented the Frankfurt audience with powerful and well-arranged alternative metal, for which they received loud applause at the end of their set. Frontman Gabriele Rustichelli and his boys did everything right, and Klogr are definitely a band worth watching again and again. More than just an insider tip!
Setlist Klogr:
Face the Unknown
Hysterical Blindness
White Eyes
Bleeding
Green Star
Hell of Income
Vultures Feast
Evergrey were next in the dark trilogy, and anyone familiar with the Swedes knows how musically sublime yet powerful singer/guitarist Tom S. Englund and his bandmates truly are. And that’s exactly what happened in the now well-filled Batschkapp in Frankfurt: from the very first note, the Swedes created a very special atmosphere and kept the fans spellbound until the end of the show. The Swedes started their set with ‘A Silent Arc’, a song full of beautiful tension, and immediately captivated their fans. Evergrey were in absolute playing mood and the atmospheric character of the progressive yet melodic song structures unfolded its full effect and was gratefully received by the fans.
The band members’ interplay couldn’t have been better: Tom S. Englund played with his usual confidence and his distinctive vocal line was thoroughly convincing. Drummer Simen Sandness was as precise as clockwork, often standing up, which of course had a considerable influence on his performance – positively, because the drum kit was set up on the right side of the stage for Klogr and Evergrey, giving the audience an excellent view of the man behind the kit. Simen Sandness worked his skins with corresponding enthusiasm, thrilling the fans. In addition to their sublime older songs, Evergrey also played classics from the recent past, and at the end of a more than convincing performance, the Frankfurt audience was treated to ‘OXYGEN!’, the Swedes’ latest single, which was met with endless applause. Hats off!!!
Setlist Evergrey:
A Silent Arc
King of Errors
Distance
Cold Dreams
Falling From the Sun
OXYGEN!
Evergrey had truly set the bar very high, and now the moment had come for Katatonia to take the stage. In the run-up to this tour, many fans wondered how the ‘new’ Katatonia would perform live, given that there had been a change in the line-up on guitars over the summer and Sebastian ‘Svalle’ Svalland and Nico Elgstrand had been integrated into the band. But first things first: the change did not diminish the melancholy and captivating beauty that Katatonia has been spreading ever since. The band seemed well coordinated, the songs were perfectly arranged and performed by the Swedes with great dedication, accompanied by a first-class sound. On the two-storey stage, onto which the cover artwork of the new album ‘Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State’ was projected and which looked very impressive, the musicians were constantly on the move, and even the often rather reserved Katatonia frontman Jonas Renkse was in lively contact with the enthusiastic fans.
The Frankfurt audience was treated to a colourful set list, which naturally included a lot of material from the current long player ‘Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State’, but also older classics such as the brilliant “Leaders” and ‘Old Heart Falls’, providing a little light relief, as the new material has somewhat more complex structures and is not yet familiar to every fan. Nevertheless, it went down very well with the fans, and Jonas Renkse’s vocal performance was, as usual, absolutely unique. Once again, he demonstrated how much emotion and inspiration he brings to a live performance. He literally let the audience share in his ‘suffering’ and made it unmistakably clear how important contact with his fans is to him. This atmosphere was particularly strong and palpable during the profound ‘Leathian’. Katatonia impressively underlined that their work in the dark/doom/gothic genre is simply unique and remains virtually unrivalled. To great applause, Jonas Renkse and his boys left the stage after just under 1.5 hours and the encore ‘Forsaker’, leaving behind much more than just a lasting impression. Much, much more…!!!
Setlist Katatonia:
Thrice
Soil’s Song
The Liquid Eye
Rein
Leaders
Dead Letters
Nephilim
Wind of No Change
The Longest Year
Old Heart Falls
July
Lethean
No Beacon to Illuminate Our Fall
In the Event Of
Encore:
Forsaker
Conclusion: Klogr opened the evening as a real surprise and celebrated their alternative metal with a good dose of melancholy and originality, were convincing across the board. Evergrey, the expected strong support act with a lot of depth and melancholy, performed in a guise of progressive elements and wonderful melodies. And Katatonia? Very few people had expected to see Katatonia perform so convincingly and perfectly. It was all the more wonderful for everyone involved to experience such a brilliant, dark concert with many contemplative moments and to enjoy the Swedes as dignified headliners. A real highlight at the end of the year at the Batschkapp in Frankfurt.
