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KATATONIA: Nightmares Worth Leaving Home For With NIKLAS SANDIN

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Interview by Ali Williams

KATATONIA return to Australia this October with Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State and crowds that can span several generations. The Australian run starts at Crowbar in Brisbane on October 7, with Atticus Chimps and PARHELION supporting. Released on June 6, 2025, the record is the thirteenth studio album from the Stockholm band whose music has expanded from death/doom into gothic and progressive music. When bass player Niklas Sandin spoke with HEAVY even he acknowledged the demands of saying the album title aloud. “It’s kind of a tongue twister,” he laughed. The group remain enthusiastic about touring the album, with Australian listeners next to hear the songs after the Japanese and New Zealand dates.

Those listeners cover a considerable age range. Sandin describes crowds stretching from people only just old enough to attend through to fans in their seventies and eighties. “It’s a big, big variety, and a lovely mix of people,” he says. Decades can separate their birthdays without anyone needing to explain why they are still going to gigs. He appreciates how concerts allow people with different values and backgrounds to enjoy something together, and extends that observation across live music. A shared interest gives people who might never otherwise meet a reason to talk. Sandin is amused by the reverse situation in sport, where people who get along perfectly well can suddenly fall out over the team someone supports. Enjoying a band together seems a considerably more pleasant way to spend the evening.

His own listening includes country and pop, while his first instrument was saxophone. Discovering heavy metal made him want to play guitar, but he eventually found bass more satisfying. With drummers among his closest friends, the chance to work directly with them had an obvious appeal. He describes the job with the affection of someone who enjoys getting on with it: “Hold the beat down and, you know, create the foundation of the band.”

Having played five-string basses before spending years on four strings, Sandin has returned to five and now uses Strandberg instruments with fanned frets. His explanation is practical: sometimes the extra string makes sense. He also credits bass solos with improving bar takings, since that is when everyone apparently goes to buy a beer. The saxophone connection also gives him an extra appreciation for Rivers of Nihil. Asked about contributing saxophone himself, Sandin is content to leave it to them. Recovering his technique would take years, and a previous attempt after a few drinks did little to encourage a return.“I tried to play my saxophone here at home, and I think I kind of broke it while I was trying.”

The bass has kept him busy enough. Earlier this year, KATATONIA spent several weeks in the United States, first supporting Opeth, then headlining with Rivers of Nihil opening. At home in Sweden, a recent bill with Opeth and Candlemass at Dalhalla gave Sandin a particularly memorable experience. The amphitheatre occupies a former quarry, and he considers performing there a milestone for the band. The friendships with Opeth go back to the members’ early years, adding a personal connection to an already impressive setting. There are Australian connections to remember, too. Sandin recalls Voyager supporting KATATONIA in Perth on an earlier visit, and mentions their subsequent appearance at Eurovision.

This trip also includes something he is particularly looking forward to: a day off in Auckland. After Japanese dates in Osaka and Tokyo, the band head to New Zealand, where Sandin hopes to fit in some sightseeing. His recollection of the 2010 No Sleep Til visit involves having time only to rush out for McDonald’s. Sixteen years is a substantial wait for a better look around. Five consecutive Australian shows follow, taking KATATONIA from Brisbane through Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne before finishing in Perth on October 11. The band will bring songs from the latest album alongside selections from their earlier catalogue. Sandin is already looking forward to the reception: “It’s always great to be back down under.”