Dark Tranquillity – Endtime Signals (Review)

Dark Tranquillity are a band that needs no introduction to anyone familiar with harder music in general. After over 30 years in the business in which the OGs of Gothenburg melodic death metal released quality album after quality album, their 13th (!) record titled Endtime Signals is right around the corner.

After facing numerous line up changes and even tragedies during these past 4 years after the release of 2020s Moment, the band still manages to carry on and prevail. One should not expect a complete shift in sound at this point their career but Endtime Signals feels much darker than its immediate predecessor. In its essence the groups 13th record is still a melodic death metal record with great leads, thrashy riffing and clean/unclean vocal patterns. But compared to many of the genres other contemporaries, Dark Tranquillity always managed to build their own sonical identity. While not as aggressive as At The Gates, not as poppy as post 2000 In Flames and not as shape shifting as Soilwork, Dark Tranquillity enrich their sound with keys and synths and subtly placed gothic metal undertones. Aiding to that is also sheer quality of frontman Mikael Stanne, who once again demonstrates why he is still one of the best vocalists in the game. With forceful growls and his sombre clean singing passages, he manages to elevate standout tracks like the pre-released single “Not Nothing” or the synth driven “Wayward Eyes“. With “One Of Us Is Gone“ the band doubles down on the high energy of the records first half and pays a heartfelt ballad-like tribute to their long-standing friend and former guitarist Fredrik Johansson, who died in 2022. “The Last Imagination“ follows as a fresh mid-tempo stomper that culminates in a powerful hook and cleverly placed synth leads as well as a great solo.

While most of the tracks follow the tried and approved DT formula (classical DT-midtempo riffing ) it can not be applied for the two old school melodeath rippers “Unforgivable“ and “Enforced Perspective” which serve as a nice throwback to the bands Character/Fiction era. Serving as the last heavy track “A Bleaker Sun” also really puts emphasize on the aggressive side of the band while “False Reflection” closes out what might be the bands best record since Fiction with a soothing gothic half-ballad.

For anyone seriously doubting it, Dark Tranquillity are still champions of the melodic death metal realm and offer a dark, varied and engaging record that might be their best since the beloved band (and genre) classic Fiction.