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/:: Artist :: Dark Tranquillity ::\
:: Album :: Endtime Signals ::
:: Year :: 2024 ::
:: __ _ _ __ ::
-:--\\-----------------------------------------------------------------//--:-
:: \ / ::
:: . Genre :: Death Metal Source :: CD . ::
:: Label :: Metal Army R.date :: 2024-09-13 ::
_::__ Cat.nr. :: ARMY 109-CD S.date :: 2024-06-16 __::_
::// \\::
::/---------------------------------------------------------------------\::
:: ::
/: Encoder :: LAME 3.100 -V0 :\
..: Bitrate :: avg. 272kbps :..
. Quality :: 44.1 kHz/Joint Stereo .
. Size :: 103.12MB .
. .
http://darktranquillity.bandcamp.com
__ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __
.\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////.
+/ -\------- | | ----\ tracklist /---- | | -------/- \+
/: . : : . :\
/:: ::\
:: 1. Shivers and Voids 3:48 ::
:: 2. Unforgivable 3:44 ::
:: 3. Neuronal Fire 4:32 ::
:: 4. Not Nothing 4:52 ::
:: 5. Drowned Out Voices 3:54 ::
:: 6. One of Us Is Gone 4:36 ::
:: 7. The Last Imagination 3:46 ::
:: 8. Enforced Perspective 3:20 ::
:: 9. Our Disconnect 5:19 ::
:: 10. Wayward Eyes 3:28 ::
:: 11. A Bleaker Sun 4:23 ::
:: 12. False Reflection 4:42 ::
:: ::
:: ::
:: ------- ::
.. >> 50:24 ..
__ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __
.\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////.
+/ -\------- | | ----\ release notes /---- | | -------/- \+
/: . : : . :\
/:: ::\
:: ::
:: Though which pioneering act of the Gothenburg melodic death ::
:: metal movement of the 90s is an open question, few will argue ::
:: that Dark Tranquillity was anything other than the most ::
:: stylistically and qualitatively consistent adherent of the ::
:: original Big 3. In fact, the most enduring criticism of their ::
:: output has been that theyÆve stuck so close to their roots that ::
:: theyÆve all but become the melodeath equivalent of AC/DC, at ::
:: least insofar as their output since 2007Æs Fiction is ::
:: concerned. The reality naturally proves this sentiment to be ::
:: hyperbolic, as each album since the mid-2000s has come with ::
:: number of lineup changes and controlled fits of evolution that ::
:: has resulted in a unique final product, albeit one that rests ::
:: comfortably within the hard-hitting, yet melancholy blend of ::
:: atmospheric, old school heavy metal and occasional post-rock ::
:: influences that inspired a number of prominent Finnish ::
:: melodeath bands in the early 2000s. This quintetÆs latest ::
:: offering Endtime Signals proves no exception in this regard, ::
:: and provides an expansive view into the cold and grey world of ::
:: Dark TranquillityÆs signature sound. ::
:: ::
:: Continual shifts in this outfitÆs membership play a fairly ::
:: sizable role in how this excursion into the fatalistic differs ::
:: from its immediate predecessor, namely 2020Æs Moment. The ::
:: switching out of the previous rhythm section in favor of Grand ::
:: Cadaver bassist Christian Jansson and ex-In Mourning drummer ::
:: Joakim Strandberg-Nilsson is particularly noteworthy as the ::
:: general dimension of the arrangement has become fairly heavier ::
:: and darker despite the same production crew being in place. ::
:: Likewise, the exodus of former Arch Enemy guitarist Christopher ::
:: Amott has left Johan Reinholdz, originally billed as the rhythm ::
:: guitarist when originally entering the lineup with Amott in ::
:: 2020, to handle all guitar duties. This proves to be of little ::
:: consequence in terms of the amount of solo content as Reinholdz ::
:: has long been a competent lead player via his prior and ongoing ::
:: work with Andromeda and Skyfire, but his stylistic approach ::
:: does feel a tad more linear and idiomatic than AmottÆs. ::
:: ::
:: But barring an upgrade in the impact department and a few ::
:: variations in how the peripheral ornamentation of each song ::
:: emerges, the core sound that has dominated Dark TranquillityÆs ::
:: work for the better part of 2 decades remains essentially the ::
:: same. One canÆt help but hear a near instant commonality with ::
:: the dreamy character of Moment when the fuzz-steeped guitar ::
:: intro of opening entry ôShivers And Voidsö gives way to a ::
:: mid-paced roar with a dense, melancholic atmosphere, ditto some ::
:: longer scoped numbers later on the album like ôOur Disconnectö, ::
:: as well as moderately swift yet spacey odes with Mikael Stanne ::
:: trading in his signature growl for a Gothic baritone croon like ::
:: ôOne Of Us Is Goneö and ôFalse Reflectionö. Truth be told, ::
:: Stanne proves to be one of the most dynamic elements of what is ::
:: otherwise a static affair in sorrowful contemplation, as his ::
:: raspy roars seem to telegraph where each song will go and ::
:: accentuates the multi-dimensional character of the atmosphere ::
:: that is established through longtime keyboardist Martin ::
:: BrandstromÆs droning orchestrations. ::
:: ::
:: Though generally a consistent restatement of a familiar sound, ::
:: this is an album that ratchets the aggression factor up ::
:: considerably to a level that hasn't really been heard since ::
:: 2007's Fiction. Mad thrashing cruisers like ôUnforgivableö and ::
:: ôEnforced Perspectiveö slam the pavement with the same degree ::
:: of intensity that one would have expected from the seminal days ::
:: of At The Gates and The Crown, recalling the styleÆs old school ::
:: death metal roots between frenzied drum work and neck-ruining ::
:: riff work, with ReinholdzÆs lead work shredding up the fret ::
:: board something fierce. ôDrowned Out Voicesö and ôA Bleaker ::
:: Sunö lay down the guitar-driven carnage in no less aggressive a ::
:: fashion, though taking more breaks in mid-paced territory to ::
:: allow the keyboards and guitar melodies to sing sorrowfully. ::
:: But where this album truly shines and breaks away from the last ::
:: few to come out of the Dark Tranquillity arsenal are ôNeuronial ::
:: Fireö and ôWayward Eyesö, which brilliantly merge this albumÆs ::
:: swifter tendencies with a solid array of infectious hooks, ::
:: reaching further back into this veteran actÆs past to the days ::
:: of Haven and Damage Done, albeit draped in slightly more ::
:: keyboard-driven ambience. ::
:: ::
:: Apocalyptic undertones aside, Endtime Signals is the sort of ::
:: album that provides a brighter and more animated shade of grey ::
:: to go with any mournful metalheadÆs listening diet. Sometimes ::
:: StanneÆs tendency to throw in a deep, brooding clean voice to ::
:: contrast with his frostbitten shouts blurs the lines between ::
:: the classic Gothenburg sound and the contemporary death/doom ::
:: and Gothic sound that was also the rage during the 90s, but ::
:: overall this is an album that covers all the obligatory bases ::
:: that the melodeath rank and file have come to expect. Those ::
:: fortunate enough to get their hands on the special edition ::
:: release of this album will be treated to two additional banger ::
:: entries in ôZero Sumö and ôIn Failureö that further bolster ::
:: this albumÆs contingent of moderately up tempo and well-rounded ::
:: anthems cloaked in dense keyboards and featuring occasional ::
:: technical gymnastics between the drums and Reinholdz's ::
:: six-string work. The title might be focused with the end of all ::
:: things, but hopefully this wonÆt be the final word of this ::
:: longstanding Gothenburg institution. ::
:: ::
:: . _ _ . ::
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