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1995 was a pretty amazing year for metal, particularly for a new kind dubbed 'melodic', featuring a much stronger emphasis on guitar harmonies and inter-mingling counter-point riffage. Since the golden age for the genre that struck early to mid-90s it has been struggling with some mediocre releases and a sense of complacency from some bands, and it pays to return to the past and visit once again with an album that for better or worse helped to start it all, 'The Gallery' by Dark Tranqillity. This is possibly the embodiment of 'melodic metal' in its purest form. Complex, shuffling guitar melodies, disarming and well-placed shifts in timing and twisting song-structures. Just listen to that first song, 'Punish My Heaven', a pure classic that twists like a waterspout and crushes like a streamroller. The emphasis on guitar melodies and treble is complemented perfectly by the deep, often lead in nature, audible bass. 'Silence and the Firmament Withdrew' cools down a bit from the blistering energy of 'Punish My Heaven' and lays down some majestic, slower riffs. 'Edenspring' starts with jazzy cymbal work and leaps into high-gear with some jarring shifts in tempo, as well as an incredible acoustic section with a perfect, soaring guitar harmony overhead. 'The Dividing Line' is yet another excellent number. 'The Gallery' is the best song on the album, in this reviewer's opinion, with stunning and touching riffs and a startling mid-section with a soothing female voice accompanying acoustic guitars. Needless to say, I could go on, but it should be clear to you there is absolutely no dip in quality towards the end of the album. 'The Gallery' is a milestone for metal, a remarkably consistent one at that. From the first song to the last, through such greats as 'Edenspring' and the melodies of 'Lethe', this is pure class and quality. The genre may find itself struggling at times, but one can't neglect the fact that it has produced some amazing, watershed releases. 'The Gallery' and 'The Jester Race' by In Flames, combined, are ultimately the two ESSENTIAL melodic metal albums.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Punish My Heaven |
| 2. Silence And The Firmament Withdrew |
| 3. Denspring |
| 4. The Dividing Line |
| 5. The Gallery |
| 6. The One Brooding Warning |
| 7. Midway Through Infinity |
| 8. Lethe |
| 9. The Emptiness From Which I Fed |
| 10. Mine Is The Grandeur |
| 11. ...Of Melancholy Burning |
: 47.50
| Buy other Dark Tranquillity albums |
