Customer Reviews

Character

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dark Tranquillity has created yet another masterpiece with their latest album, _Character_. With each album, they re-define their sound; while there are many similarities, every collection of their work is highly unique from each other. _Skydancer_ was a dark, harsh album, with some songs bordering on black metal in their sounds. _The Gallery_ emphasized beauty and classical song structures, with brooding vibes of desperation and tragedy. _The Mind's I_ had shorter, more riff-based songs, yet retained much of the aforementioned qualities. On _Projector_, song after song featured clean vocals and a less aggressive nature (causing many a foolish listener to believe that Dark Tranquillity "sold out"). And their past two albums, _Haven_ and _Damage Done_ incorporated many electronic elements and monstrously deeper vocals. While _Character_ is not a great departure from these latter two albums, it shows that Dark Tranquillity is exploring every nook and cranny in their new blend of industrial/melodic/death metal - and by exploring, they are continuing their progressive nature.

The lineup on this album is the same as it's been for the past six years, with the guitar team of Martin Henriksson (formerly the band's bassist) and Niklas Sundin, bassist Michael Nicklasson, drummer Anders Jivarp, electronics guru Martin Brandström, and vocalist Mikael Stanne. The band is in top shape on _Character_, with particularly shining performances by the latter two. While Martin Brandström's contributions might be no less prominent on this as they were on _Haven_ or _Damage Done_, he has refined his sound, experimenting with much more atmospheric and unusual sounds. Mikael Stanne's vocals have returned to their higher rasp as heard on _The Mind's I_ and _Projector_ (but still deeper than they were on _The Gallery_), and just as emotional and urgent as ever. He occasionally will drop his voice to a whisper, or howl with that same terrific roar which made Dark Tranquillity's past two albums so effective.

"The Endless Feed" opens with trancelike electronic sounds, before a wall heaviness blasts in like an explosion. Mid-tempo in the verses, Niklas and Martin play a sort of lockstep rhythm as Martin Brandström , the pace picks up in the choruses, largely driven by the chugging guitar riffs. In the bridge, there is a moment of quiet as Mikael's voice (under a sort of effect) lurches out from behind the electronic pulses: "I can take what's being given/ I can down whatever comes/ I will do what you deem necessary." And framed by explosive guitar riffs, he then screams "MY FEAR COMPELS ME!"

The first single, "Lost to Apathy," features heavy usage of electronics to texture and complement the guitars. There are some lightning-fast riffs in this song, evenly balanced out by sweeping waves of melodies. Mikael also drops his voice to roar during parts of the choruses, adding to the multifaceted nature of this album.

There are also a few surprises peppered throughout the album. One such is the main rhythm which "The Endless Feed" follows - just listen to the galloping guitar riffs which charge over Anders Jivarp's propulsive drumming. Long has Dark Tranquillity been labeled "melodic death metal," largely because of the vocals, but this is the closest to death metal they have ever been, for Anders creates highly effective blast beats! This song sounds almost like it could be a re-creation of a track from _The Mind's I_.

Album closer "My Negation" is epic-themed, with a sort of desperation in Mikael's voice which evokes feelings of finality and yearning. There are some clean electric guitar leads and brilliant harmonies. Just imagine a cousin to the instrumental closer to _Damage Done_, "Ex Nihilo," but with vocals which only add to the tragic, yet beautiful, themes. This was a perfect choice of a song to end the album with.

Finally, the artwork on this album (once again designed by Niklas Sundin with his own Cabin Fever Media studios) is among Dark Tranquillity's best. It perfectly complements the music, highlighting technology's integration with life.

There are no signs of Dark Tranquillity slowing down, losing ideas, or getting tired on this album. With this album, they have really outdone themselves. By highlighting all their best qualities, they can collect a wide range of sounds, styles, and vibes and incorporate it all into good music. _Character_ is, without a doubt, Dark Tranquilllity's pantheon to their true nature: a progressive band in the finest form.

You don't have to be a big fan of the gothenburg scene to enjoy Dark Tranquility's Character. I feel these guys are the best the genre has to offer. In Flames has some spectacular releases (such as Whoracle, and Colony..must haves) but are sometimes a bit "poppy" for my tastes, Soilwork does absolutely nothing for me, and Opeth, despite the fact that they are incredible musicians have a tendency to excite me one moment then bore me to tears the next (I really need to be in the right mood for them). What seperates DT from these bands is the fact that they are more aggressive with their sound, they have a little more oomph to go with the Iron Maiden on meth melodies that make up the sound of this genre and I beleive that this album is a strong example of that. Like the cover art this album just has a huge sound and feel to it, very apocalyptic, but at the same time very serene. Musically these guys are awesome, the guitarwork is brilliant, the drums pound, the keyboards add atmosphere, and the vocals soar, coming together to form one hell of a complex sound that is very pleasing to the ear. My favorite song on the album is Through Smudged Lenses hands down, but I would have no problem saying that each track is just as strong as the next being that they all flow seemlessly to create this massive work that is Character. I also really enjoyed their previous release Damage Done but I feel this one has a bit more emotion and is just a notch better. I have truly not found a flaw large enough to mention on this record and I endorse it completely. If you are new to the Gothenburg sound I would suggest starting here and if you like what you hear check out Whoracle from In Flames IMO these are the two CD's that best represent the genre.

...I know that phrase is something you'd typically see on those stickers record labels place on albums in an attempt to cover for a new album not living up to the hype, yet in the case of Dark Tranquility that statement is absolutly true. Is it possible for band to still be in their prime 15 years after they formed? A few days ago I would have said it to be impossible, but after hearing this I'm not so sure.

The heavy riffs and thundering drums are back, that becomes apparent in about 5 seconds. I'm not a big fan of keyboards in Death Metal but it's done well here. The synths are very subtle and add another dimension to the atmosphere of the record versus the loud, obnoxious drone of something like Cradle Of Filth. Mikeal Stanne gives his best performance in years as well. The annoying whispers and raspy shrieks of the Haven and Projector era are gone, and the roaring growls of Minds Eye and Gallery are back. All the songs flow seemlessly together to create the whole. The glue that binds them is a loose lyrical concept about life in the world today.

Character is an album already in my proverbial Melo-death hall of fame, from a band that secured their place there long ago. Like another reviewer said, if this isn't their best album yet then I'd have a hard time picking a better one. This is an album that raises the bar for all metal in 2005. Though it's only January, I think it's safe to say this will be the best release of 2005, or at the least, will be damn close.

Finally the new Dark Tranquillity disc! It has been a long time coming, and it has been well worth the wait. Dark Tranquillity deliver their trademarked brew of harmonically complex melodic death metal on "Character". They take a few steps back at the same time they take a few forward. The electronic elements are more fluidly integrated than ever before. The guitars are way up front in the mix, and they are beautifully heavy. The riffing is tight and melodic. All as one would expect; however, blast beats show up a few times. The vocals are more harsh than maybe they've ever been.

Really my only gripes, and they aren't very major ones are that, there are fewer clean interludes to offest the heavyness and that a lot of the songs are right around the same tempo.

The lyrics are really well done, better I think than on "Damage Done". They flow better, and fit together better, conceptually.

If this isn't their best album yet, I'd be hard pressed to pick a better one.

alright so ive never written a review here before, but after reading "frankie" review this dark tranquility cd by comparing it to TRAPT i knew i had to do something. good god frankie, what cd are you listening to? i mean its all good and fine that you like trapt...(though korn stinks, listen to real metal..like in flames and dimmu borgir)...but c'mon. Dark Tranquility arent even on the same spectrum of the type of music they play! Trapt is nu-metal, mainstream, and only halfway decent, while dark tranquility is real, quality metal. You call korn in other reviews the gods of metal, man i could just not stop laughing. go back to your pop radio stations and stop trying to review a genre of music that you obviously know nothing about.
Anyways, about this album...great great stuff. Mikael is great as usual, and the rifts are just amazing. I still prefer Mikaels old band (in flames) more, but dark tranquility just seems to be getting better with age. If you like death/melodic metal, buy this.

Dark Tranquillity is one of metal's leading bands. They were amongst the instigators of the Swedish melodic death metal sound along with In Flames, and have been a major influence for literally hundreds of bands across the globe. But it's been close to 15 years since the band started writing music, which is a heck of a long time for a band to stay inspired and fresh.

I believe Dark Tranquillity have done everything right to make sure of their longevity. After their classic mid-nineties efforts "The Gallery" and "The Mind's I", the band moved away from their roots somewhat, becoming more experimental, losing some heaviness and trying out keyboards and simpler structures. Whether the albums that were released during this period were better or worse is completely up to the listener's tastes. Personally, I didn't think "Projector" or "Haven" were all that successful, but what's certain, is that this little mid-life change has made Dark Tranquillity even more hungry and focused. Just as Kreator has come back reinvigorated after their own awkward period, Dark Tranquillity have never sounded as fresh and inspired as they do right now.

Dark Tranquillity's last outing, "Damage Done", was a truly excellent album. It went back to the earlier days aggression, while utilizing the bands new found skills. "Character" takes this one step further. It's heavy, it's tight, it's melodic and it's downright entertaining. This album may not really break any new ground, but everything it does, it does so at a very high level of quality and professionalism.

The musicianship is faultless and there's enough variety to keep things interesting throughout its 48 minute playing time. There are definitely no fillers on this baby, with the highlights being opener "The New Build", "One Thought" and the excellent final track "My Negation".

With so many bands seeming to move away from what made them good in the first place in this genre (Soilwork and In Flames come to mind), it's awesome to see Dark Tranquillity go from strength to strength. These guys are at their peak. Don't ignore it.

As I stated in the title, I am biased because I am an unapologetic huge fan of Dark Tranquillity. Having said that, this is an excellent album. It continues the evolution of the band in terms of combining the classic "Gothenburg sound" that they pioneered with moody, industrial sounds. "The New Build", "The Endless Feed", "Lost to Apathy", "Mind Matters", "One Thought", "Am I 1?" and "My Negation" are all classics. Dark Tranquillity fans will love this, and fans of melodic death metal as well as heavy music in general should pick this disc up because it is worth it.

I'm not gonna lie, the Gothenberg scene is hurting. In Flames' new release is complete nu-metal trash, The Haunted's new disc was quite a bit of a letdown, Soilwork's new disc wasn't bad but it pales in comparison to their other CDs, but little did we know that Dark Tranquillity went under all our noses and created a masterpiece. I loved Damage Done but this CD blows that one completely out of the water. It continues the brooding and dark sound you've heard on Damage Done but adds more thrash and aggression and more use of subtle off time signatures. There really isn't a bad song on this CD. What confuses me is how this band has soooo many albums under their belt and they can still manage to get better and better but alot of these other aforementioned bands only have 4 or 5 and they're already starting to go downhill. The Swedish metal scene should try to be more like this band, experimenting enough to keep their sound fresh, but not compromising what made them so great in the first place. Any fan of this band or of good Swedish melodic death metal should not pass over this masterpiece.

If anyone needs convincing that Dark Tranquility are the greatest practitioners of melodic death metal, then take a listen to "Character." Having long since abandoned the clean vocals found on "Projector" (I, for one, loved the clean vocals and was a little sad to see them go), DT has instead found new ways to create melody on their last few albums. Harsh death vocals permeate every track on "Character" yet I challenge you to listen to songs like "One Thought" and "Lost to Apathy" and not have their choruses get stuck in your brain. The use of keyboards/electronics is more prominent on DT's latest offering, but they are used so magnificently that it is impossible to criticize them. In fact, the keys are what often makes some of the songs so spectacular. The album's pacing is also very good. Unlike many other death metal bands, DT knows how to play in different time signatures, as well as at different tempos. As a result, not every song begins with the same old pummeling drum beat. These guys really are in a league of their own, and with fellow Gothenburg band In Flames gradually morphing into a radio friendly metal band (don't get me wrong, I love these guys) it's nice to see that DT has stuck to their guns and delivered an album of straight up classic melodic death.

1. The New Build 5/5
2. Through Smudged Lenses 5/5
3. Out of Nothing 5/5 *
4. The Endless Feed 5/5 *
5. Lost to Apathy 5/5 *
6. Mind Matters 4.5/5
7. One Thought 5/5 *
8. Dry Run 4/5
9. Am I 1? 4/5
10.Senses Tied 4.5/5
11.My Negation 4/5

* My Favorites

Theres a review by "Jacuzzi Chick" that says "listen to atreyu or bleeding through for real melodic death metal..."...................that contends for the single stupidest remark ive ever heard. Although i am aware its a joke (read her other reviews), but still, theres no reason to contribute low ratings to a perfect CD for no reason whatsoever except an attempt at being funny...

Its people like this that add to low ratings of good products.