By: Tordah

Posted: Apr 10, 2007

One of the biggest metal-names from Sweden is now back again with their 8th studio album up to date, entitled "Fiction". While fellow countrymen like Soilwork and In Flames have tried to make their music more accessible in order to appeal to the mainstream listeners Dark Tranquillity shows no signs whatsoever of ever selling out. The music continues in the same vein as "Character" while combining different elements from all the previous Dark Tranquillity albums and mixing them into a powerful and intense package. I don't think anyone will be disappointed by the Swedes this time around either.

The opener, 'Nothing To No One', kicks things off in the best way possible. All the trademark Dark Tranquillity elements are present and Mikael Stanne's growls sound just as sharp and aggressive as they did on "Character". The electronics provided by Martin Brändström is a part of the band that has grown more prominent with each new release and "Fiction" is where it really feels like they've become an essential part of the sound. Pretty much every song has some hollow-sounding melodies that add both depth and melancholy to the songs. The melodies are simple, yet very effective, and not overdone at all. The guitar-riffs are typical Dark Tranquillity material and we all know what that means – ferocious and intelligent guitar-work that more often than not sound quite original. The only problem I see is that some of the riffs might sound like recycled versions of old songs but not enough to annoy you. The bass is audible from time to time but mostly it's kept in the background keeping a steady rhythm along with the drums. The drumming is another very strong aspect of "Fiction". Anders Jivarp does a very good job here and the drum-sound is sharp and clear, which suits the music very well, just as it should be.

My favorite song here is probably 'Misery's Crown' which is one of two songs where Stanne uses his clean vocals. The keyboard melody during the chorus is probably the catchiest one on the whole album and it really enhances the feeling of the song to perfection. The other track which features clean vocals is 'The Mundane And The Magic' which is another highlight of the album. This track also features some female guest vocals which add another dimension to the music. If I remember correctly the last time a Dark Tranquillity featured female vocals was "The Gallery" and that was over 10 years ago so it's cool to see them back again. I would also like to applaud the band for writing such brilliant and thought-provoking lyrics once again. Not only on this track but on every track. Very impressive.

With "Fiction" there's no denying that Dark Tranquillity are still the reigning kings of the melo-death genre that they helped create themselves in the early 90s. It's amazing that a band that has been around for so long still can make excellent music that feels so fresh while still having the same familiar elements of past albums. Dark Tranquillity is doing exactly what they want and they know exactly how to do it. Weather they chose to make their music more aggressive like "Character" or softer and more insightful like "Projector" and "Haven" they have always succeeded. If that's not the sign of a great band I don't know what is. Consistency and quality have always been keywords when describing Dark Tranquillity's discography and "Fiction" is no difference. One of the best releases of 2007 so far.

Rating: 8,5/10

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