Dark Tranquillity are part of the holy trinity of Gothenburg, that trio of Swedish bands — with In Flames and At the Gates — who invented melodic death metal in the early 1990s. Three decades later, the band led by the indestructible singer Mikael Stanne remain standing, despite the many departures that have tested their line-up. Endtime Signals, a thirteenth album, marks the arrival of new musicians and a certain renewed energy.
The critics, favourable (a 78 average across six reviews), hail the vitality of a band one might have thought weakened. The keen guitar melodies, the layers of melancholy keyboards, the alternation between raging growls and clean singing — that warm voice, recognisable among all — are faithfully present. Praise goes to a still careful writing and an intact melodic sense.
Musically, Endtime Signals does not deviate from the band’s signature: that marriage of death-metal aggression and an almost pop lyricism, that way of making the guitars weep while pounding. The modern, limpid production showcases the richness of the arrangements and the growing place of the keyboards in the edifice.
One might, however, regret a form of wear in the process. Dark Tranquillity master their grammar perfectly, but it scarcely evolves any more, and the record struggles to impose tracks that will durably mark the memory. This is an album of high standing, but without the rallying hit that would have hoisted it above the solid average.
Verdict: 7.5/10. A dignified, coherent record proving the resilience of a major band. Reassuring rather than overwhelming, but still chiselled with taste.
