‘Why do we feel fear to the power of infinity’
I have for you today the thirteenth album by our tranquil cousins, Dark Tranquillity, stalwarts of the metal scene over in Sweden. They have obviously been around the sun a fair few times and are no strangers to the positives and the pitfalls in our beloved industry.
With thirty years in the business, the band view the world through a panoramic lens, influenced by a wealth of experience and conversance, they are able to retain their rightful place in the annals of metal history.
Mikael Stanne – vocals, Joakim Strandberg Nilsson – drums, Christian Jansson- bass, Martin Brändström – keyboards and production, and Johan Reinholdz – guitar, all working together after the passing of Fredrick Johansson in 2022, who in fact contributed to this record. This sadness is captured in ‘One Of Us Is Gone’ biographical and thoughtful, as we all consider our time on this earth, knowing full well that there is only one way out of here. There is a calmness that permeates throughout, only achieved by top drawer songwriting, empathy, understanding, and sensitivity all play a crucial role here.
They remind me of Betraying the Martyrs, especially the video for ‘Not Nothing’ images layered, overlapping giving prominence to the band, the patterns and the performance. The words ‘we are here to resist, we are here to defy’ are powered by our sense of fairness and justice, that we will no longer be afraid.
I love the music for the chorus in ‘Drowning Out Voices’ not dissimilar to the new Darkest Hour album released earlier this year. The positioning of the clear, clean vocals, amidst the growls makes this a model example of melodeath, the tensions are subdued as the voice adjusts to the requirements of the songs.
Our ‘Wayward Eyes’ look up to ‘A Bleaker Sun’ and we are taken in by ‘False Reflection’ things are not always what they seem, it is not deception per se, but a confusing mix of what we dream, what we desire with what our destiny has written. The stars don’t always align, but they will always shine. There is a contemplative aspect throughout, a profound introspection, an album that is true, unshakeable in its condition and its purpose.
We should be aware of our own mortality, not to sound too defeatist or melancholic, but our endtime signals have already been locked and loaded, it’s just a matter of time.
We finish in rapture, full of grace, in our own space, we mourn the necessity of a ‘False Reflection’ how we prioritise our image, a veneer that coats the actuality. Dig deep my friends, there is still time, use the tranquillity of the darkness, find that hand to hold, find that spark, you owe it to yourselves.
Azra Pathan
Dark Tranquillity – Endtime Signals out now