Perhaps cursed by their reluctance to fit into predetermined metal subgenres, it has taken Katatonia two decades to receive the recognition they deserve. Diehard fans will recognise Dead End Kings as the latest in a series of beautifully conceived and subtly inventive exercises in atmospheric heaviness. But there is a sharpness to the songwriting in evidence on the Swedes' ninth full-length recording that promises a bridging of the gap between metal and modern prog. As with obvious peers such as Opeth and Anathema, Katatonia seldom take the obvious melodic route. Instead, songs such as the gently menacing The One You Are Looking for Is Not Here and the film-noir throb of Leech mask singer Jonas Renske's low-key hooks behind intricate arrangements and a shimmering haze of eerie ambience. The band's metal credentials remain undeniable, however, as the strident riffs that underpin show-starter The Parting and the restless physicality of the closing Dead Letters noisily demonstrate.