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Back in 1999 Dark Tranquillity released an album called Projector - a brilliant album that saw the band branching out with their sound and experimenting quite a bit, most notably with Mikael Stanne's clean vocal approach. The album was still very heavy and more importantly it was excellent! Unfortunately the band received a lot of negative feedback from fans and critics alike who shouted "sellout!" So, the band followed that album with Haven, discarding all clean singing - except for a brief moment in one song - and returned to their heavier, more "Gothenburg" sound, but adding a good dose of keyboards. They repeated this with 2002's Damage Done. Now we're presented with their latest offering: Character, a brilliant slab of melodic death metal cut right from the heart of the death metal beast (wow, what a cheesy line that was)! Yet once again fans and critics alike are complaining, but this time it's not because they've changed, it's because they haven't changed, believe it or not. Now the band isn't "progressing" enough with their sound! Well, what was Projector, then? They should have named this album "Damned If We Do, Damned If We Don't." The problem with fans and critics is that a band can't add new elements to their sound without being slammed for doing so, yet when they don't do that very thing they are slammed just the same. Does it make sense? Absolutley not, but sadly that's the nature of so many. So let it be known first and foremost that this new Dark Tranquillity album is not groundbreaking when it comes to their style, but it is amazing nonetheless.
Let's start with Stanne's vocals - since that is what made so many gasp when he actually sang on Projector. Unfortunately (for me, maybe lucky for you), there is no clean singing here, though I would welcome Mikael's unique singing style in a heartbeat. Instead what we get is his sickest vocal performance to date! His vocals are extremely heavy, yet smooth. The control he has now compared to albums like The Gallery and Mind's I is almost immeasurable. As for the music, you know to expect: it's brutal and melodic, the rhythm grooves, the leads shred, the keyboards broaden the scope, the thundering double-bass attack solidifies, and the vocals seal the deal on this melodic death metal masterpiece! I could pick apart each song, but the point of that would be nonsensical as there is not a weak song on this album, some songs are obviously better than others, but none of them are skip-worthy.
Dark Tranquillity continue to be a shining light on a genre that has been shadowed by the clones of once hardcore or extreme metal bands now become metalcore-because-it's-popular bands jumping on the latest corporate bandwagon with the screamo verses and melodic choruses. This band, though, is simply amazing. Personally I would like to see the band experiment again like they did on Projector, not because I've been disappointed with their recent releases, but because they seem to be just as good either way. With the release of Exposures: In Retrospect & Denial - 2004's outtakes/b-sides/rarities album - we heard songs much in the vein of Projector, but recorded during the Haven and Damage Done sessions, so the desire to include these experimental elements is still there, but the fans asked for them to go the way of the Heavy and they have answered that request with three amazing albums and it's idiotic for anyone to ridicule the band for it. As much as I would like a more experimental album, I am still quite content with what they've given us since that infamous "sellout" album. At the end of the day good music is good music no matter what the form or style. Be thankful that Dark Tranquillity has the balls to stick to their guns while continuing to release stellar album after stellar album!
| Tracklist |
| 1. The New Build |
| 2. Through Smudged Lenses |
| 3. Out Of Nothing |
| 4. The Endless Feed |
| 5. Lost To Apathy |
| 6. Mind Matters |
| 7. One Thought |
| 8. Dry Run |
| 9. Am I 1? |
| 10. Senses Tied |
| 11. My Negation |
: 48.17
| Buy other Dark Tranquillity albums |
