Brave Murder Day  by Katatonia

Brave Murder Day of 1996 is one of the most significant milestones in the history of atmospheric metal, marking Katatonia's transition from the doom/death of the early 90s to a more experimental sound. It is considered the album that "married" metal with shoegaze, influencing dozens of bands in the later atmospheric/post metal sphere. Brave Murder Day is the second studio album by the Swedes.

Brave Murder Day was recorded in July 1996 at Unisound Studios with sound engineer Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity) and was released the following month. Due to problems with Jonas Renkse's vocal cords, the growls were undertaken by Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth. Renkse participates only with clean vocals on the track Day. The album is characterized by a "hypnotic" 4/4 rhythm, simple but emotionally charged melodies, and "shoegaze" guitars. The atmosphere is intensely melancholic, desperate, and minimalistic. The lyrics by Jonas Renkse focus on loss, depression, isolation, and broken relationships. The album's title comes from the first three tracks: Brave, Murder, and Day.

Although there are no official sales numbers to classify it in the mainstream charts, it remains the "ultimate cult classic" for fans of the genre. At that time, the band did not go on extensive tours, as it was in the process of searching for a permanent line-up (Fredrik Norrman was added on the second guitar).