Dark Tranquillity - Damage Done

People in metal are always talking about the Gothenburg scene and, invariably, the conversation always turns at some point to either In Flames or the legendary At the Gates. Lesser known and respected (it seems) is the redheaded stepchild of the movement, Dark Tranquillity. It’s no fault of their own, however, for while their colleagues In Flames seem to be garnering attention for all the wrong reasons lately with their move toward a more mainstream sound, it is Dark Tranquillity that has continued to challenge themselves as musicians and broaden the horizons of melodic death metal.

One of the early Gothenburg-scene bands in Sweden, Dark Tranquillity made a name for themselves with their early Spinefarm and Osmose releases. The vocalist on their debut 1993 album, Skydancer, was actually Anders Friden, now the longtime vocalist of In Flames. Dark Tranquillity’s next album, 1995’s The Gallery is still highly regarded within the melodic death subgenre. It was in 1999, however, that the band made their masterpiece. Having signed with Century Media, and working with legendary producer Fredrik Nordström (Dimmu Borgir, In Flames, At The Gates), the band released Projector, an album which was both in-your-face heavy and technically and melodically adventurous. Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles described it as “one of the best examples of aggression and melody fused together.” The album also won the band a Swedish Grammy nomination. The follow-up, 2000’s Haven (once again produced by the band and Nordström) was much more atmospheric, more expressive, a departure musically. The group might have felt that there was simply no way to match Projector on its own terms. They were probably right, although some fans undoubtedly had hoped that Projector was the beginning of a rapid ascent into the upper tier of the metal world.

2002’s Damage Done is an improvement over the band’s previous release, but perhaps still not the next great step in the band’s evolution. It does return Dark Tranquillity to the familiar ground of Projector musically, however. “Final Resistance” gets the disc off to a rousing start, launching off with a riff big enough to knock a building over before cycling into some intense Gothenburg thrash. Vocalist Mikael Stanne is unaccompanied on this track and all others and focuses exclusively on death vocals, a throwback to the band’s earlier days. “Monochromatic Strains” gets us back into a thrash mindset and features some terrific guitar work by Martin Henriksson and Niklas Sundin, who demonstrate that the Gothenburg obsession with Maiden-style axework is still alive and well. More speed on the title track, and some terrific, swirling guitar harmonies. During a break, keyboardist Martin Brandstrom is allowed to get into the action with some piano playing as the band builds gradually back up to full speed. “The Enemy” starts out with some gentle guitar sweeps before Anders Jivarp launches in, pounding his toms. Brandstrom again gives us some nice piano touches and the guitarists are given a large canvas to demonstrate their riffing and lead abilities. The conclusion to the album—an instrumental track by the name of “Ex Nihilo”—is as stunning as the beginning. Fantastic guitar and keyboard melodies interlock again as Jivarp destroys his kit with big, Bonham-like beats.

It is unlikely that Dark Tranquillity will remain anonymous for much longer. A 2002 tour with In Flames and Killswitch Engage put this impressive act on the map in North America. The upcoming “Art of Noise” tour with Nile, Napalm Death, and Strapping Young Lad promises even more deserved attention. Maybe there is justice in the world of metal…even in the Creed-drenched confines of the United States.