I am developing a soft spot for Swedish melodeath juggernauts DARK TRANQUILLITY and their wonderful blend of heaviness, aggression, and melody that is topped off by some very inspired lyrics. Their latest studio offering, “Moment,” was one of my albums of the year for 2020 and I believe “Endtime Signals” will also make that select cut. The Swedes’ thirteenth studio effort will be released on August 16th, 2024, via Century Media Records, and it’s a great showcase of their well-deserved place not only on the metal scene but also in the hearts of many metalheads.
Given the aggressive and harsh nature of the singles released so far from “Endtime Signals” I expected the album to be grittier, heavier, and darker than its predecessor and, upon listening to the full length, my initial hunch proved to be correct. That is to say, “Endtime Signals” falls more in line with 2016’s “Atoma” than with the sleek and melodic “Moment,” which will probably please longtime fans of the band. The clean vocals appear only sparingly but when Mikael Stanne does switch styles and uses them, they really pack an emotional punch, as they aren’t used as a counterpoint to the harsh vox (as per usual in melodeath), instead the clean vocals are used intentionally and purposefully to serve the message of the song.
Also, has anyone noticed how elegant their songwriting is? Because these twelve tracks are nothing if not as elegant and graceful as they are vicious and dark, and DARK TRANQUILLITY walk that fine line with wonderful panache and incredible dexterity. They achieve this elegance and flow in their songwriting by not overdoing it – the melodies are just melodic enough to be catchy, the guitars are heavy enough to pack a punch, the drums and bass are just rhythmic enough to establish a great groove and give weight to the music, and the synths are just doing their thing in the background. The secret is that no instrument runs the risk of overpowering another one, everything is in balance which makes for an uncluttered soundscape and an easy listening experience. Tracks like the singles released – “The Last Imagination,” “Unforgivable,” and “Not Nothing” – are great examples here as they are heavy and distorted but at the same time, they are also magnetic and fluid as the narratives – that are beautifully carried by the vocals – take center stage with the music only enhancing the moods of these songs.
I have mentioned the importance of a good narrative in my review of POWERWOLF’s latest album, “Wake up the Wicked,” because once you have an established sound (as is also the case with DARK TRANQUILLITY) then all you can rely on to keep things interesting are the stories you tell in the lyrics and the emotional weight they give to the album. Channeling the mixed emotions of the last few years – from tours to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine – this album is more than just a reflection of the global anxiety and fear we have all gone through, as personal stories also find a place on the tracklist. Among these, the song that really stands out is “One of Us Is Gone” which is a heartfelt tribute to Fredrik Johansson (who passed away in 2022) and features a big production with strings, cello, and a mellow (though not mournful) melody that is beautifully delivered by Mikael Stanne, thus making it an instant highlight. On par with this one is closer “False Reflection,” a stunner of a track with great ambiance coming from the synths, an even greater drumming section courtesy of Joakim Strandberg Nilsson, and overall minimalist instrumentals that give the vocals a chance to deliver emotions galore, not unlike “In Truth Divided.”
Elsewhere on the album, the guitars and vocals are very much front and center carrying the brunt of the heavy and aggressive side of the sound design while Martin Brändström’s synths are popping in the forefront every now and again, adding some much needed melodic breaks. Such is the case with “Drowned Out Voices,” one of the heaviest tracks on the album with powerful drumming, harsh vocals, and dense guitars and bass lines that suddenly give way to pulsing synths and clean vocals that reprise the chorus before picking everything up again for the final section. Then, there are the synths in “Enforced Perspective” that balance out the guitars and drums and add some neat layers of sparkling melody to the fold while “Our Disconnect” features a neat synth moment that leads into the chorus that is followed by a great solo section. Opening with some thrashy riffs and continuing on the same path, “A Bleaker Sun” again has some synths that cut through the thick layer of guitars and drums with a wonderful melodic break coming from guitarist Johan Reinholdz’s extended solo. These songs are heavy not just from an instrumental perspective but also a lyrical one, dealing with themes of alienation, insignificance, and apathy. Only “Wayward Eyes” and “Not Nothing” seem taken from the writing sessions for “Moment,” as they neatly ebb and flow between harsh-sung verses and clean, catchy choruses that pack intense emotional punches.
In the conclusions to my review of WITHIN TEMPTATION’s “Bleed Out,” I stated that “music is not meant only to entertain us but also to provoke a thought, an idea, or even a reaction” and this is the type of energy that DARK TRANQUILLITY also channel on “Endtime Signals.” It’s impossible to listen to these songs and not think about the current state of the world, or, at the very least, connect with some of the lyrics on a personal level. It’s a grim and dark album but it’s also very insightful and relevant from a lyrical perspective, while musically it delivers quality melodic death metal with the usual blend of heaviness and melody we have come to expect from the Swedes, making “Endtime Signals” an album that is sure to delight and please the metal crowds.
Written by Andrea Crow
Tracklist
01. Shivers And Voids
02. Unforgivable
03. Neuronal Fire
04. Not Nothing
05. Drowned Out Voices
06. One Of Us Is Gone
07. The Last Imagination
08. Enforced Perspective
09. Our Disconnect
10. Wayward Eyes
11. A Bleaker Sun
12. False Reflection
Lineup
Mikael Stanne – vocals
Johan Reinholdz – guitar
Christian Jansson – bass
Martin Brändström – electronics
Joakim Strandberg Nilsson – drums
Label
Century Media Records
