Katatonia + Sólstafir

Considered by many to be one of Sweden's most prominent metal bands, Katatonia's long, storied career has seen them shift from a rough, sludge-like doom metal sound to a more streamlined approach that embraces prog rock, assonant vocal harmonies, clean vocals, and polished production to their now-accessible brand of Gothic rock. Emerging in the early '90s, the group cycled through personnel before settling into a cohesive lineup in the 2000s. They found commercial success with the release of 2012's Dead End Kings, which like subsequent efforts, The Fall of Hearts and City Burials, charted in over ten countries.

An Icelandic post-metal outfit with roots in progressive, black, and Viking metal, Sólstafir emerged in the early aughts with a sound steeped in the icy depths of traditional black metal. They adopted a more atmosphere-driven post-metal style on their acclaimed sophomore effort, 2005's Masterpiece of Bitterness, and have continued in that vein with subsequent outings like Svartir Sandar (2011) and Endless Twilight of Codependent Love (2020).