ALBUM REVIEW: Endtime Signals – Dark Tranquillity
How many times can a ship have its parts replaced before becoming a fundamentally different vessel? While not fully a Ship of Theseus situation, the amount of change that DARK TRANQUILLITY have gone through in recent years is far from insignificant. Vocalist Mikael Stanne and keyboardist Martin Brandstrom remain pillars of the Gothenburg giants, but the loss of three founding members and key songwriters in the last two album cycles, and the frequent line-up changes since, are bound to have an impact eventually, despite the group’s reputation as one of metal’s most consistent bands. New offering Endtime Signals sees them navigate these stormy seas and try to venture into new territory.
Shivers And Voids opens the record in typical DARK TRANQUILLITY fashion, with dramatic keyboards intertwining with melodeath guitars. Even in this opener, an added aggression and new approaches to riffing are noticeable, reminiscent of the hordes of metalcore bands that the Swedes inspired. Unforgivable ramps up the tempo further, with its bridge section sounding like a modern-day KREATOR, while the lead guitars are flashy in an almost power metal fashion. The new elements are peppered in small bursts with the classic sound, but the sum effect of these moments are jarring within a usual four-minute song.
The strongest weapon of the Swedes remains vocal powerhouse Stanne. His range of powerful growls is once again on display, whilst his perfect enunciation allows the lyrics to shine through. The band say this is an angrier album, and the rage and despair is evident in the themes of alienation and nihilism. But an even stronger trump card is Stanne‘s cleans. The gorgeous baritone motifs in Not Nothing are an instant earworm, while One Of Us Is Gone – a tribute to late member Fredrik Johannson – goes a step further with a completely clean performance by Stanne. It’s a beautiful epic which gains force steadily to expand into a mournful elegy.
It is these displays of quiet melancholy which form the best parts of Endtime Signals. The soft, electronic breakdown of Wayward Eyes adds space and dynamism against the wall-of-sound guitars that precede it. By contrast, the insistent riffing of Enforced Perspective comes across as uninspired, while A Bleaker Sun features choppy guitar hooks that jar. False Reflection, with contributions by former member Niklas Sundin, rounds off the album on a gentle high point, but also offers a poignant metaphor for the shaky ground of the band’s self-identity.
In Endtime Signals, DARK TRANQUILLITY seem for the first time in a while to be looking for a new sound, or at least new dimensions to their sound. This is, of course, admirable – we love our bands to progress and grow. However, the experiments on Endtime Signals are not always successful. A record full of strong moments but rather few outstanding songs, DARK TRANQUILLITY’s 13th album ultimately ranks among the weaker offerings in their extensive and excellent catalogue.
Rating: 6/10
Endtime Signals is out now via Century Media Records.
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