One of the ‘Three pillars’ of the famed Gothenburg sound, standing alongside At The Gates and In Flames, Dark Tranquillity are one of the most influential and important bands in metal. Pioneering the Melodic Death Metal sound with the aforementioned bands, Dark Tranquillity have had a long career spanning 33 years and whilst vocalist Michael Stanne might be the only original member left in the line up, it doesn’t change the fact that when Dark Tranquillity release music, it is worth paying attention to it. Richly atmospheric with a cutting edge and subtle complexities in the composition, the band have always produced high quality music, “Fiction” being one of my favourite melodic death metal albums and the almighty ‘Cathode Ray Sunshine’ from “Damage Done” being one of the greatest melodic death metal songs ever recorded. So let’s get to it.

Whilst the accompanying press release talked big, stating that “Endtime Signals” could be a decade defining album in terms of its sound and impact, I wouldn’t go as far to state it is a seminal release, but I will say without any hesitation that it is one of the releases in 2024 that you need to hear, especially if you have an appreciation of this musical approach. Is this giving too much away without even talking about the music on offer? Yes, it probably is, but it needs stating so I don’t end up going on and on, giving the big boss-man more work than he already gets landed with on a daily basis!

“Shivers and Voids” opens up the album with a melodic and haunting arpeggio sequence which quickly shifts to that cutting metal attack. With a solid tempo, the track picks up the intensity, layering electronic components over the chords and melodic guitar lines, shifting into a huge sounding groove driven chorus, all the while being commanded by Stanne’s crisp growls which haven’t lost their edge at all. “Unforgivable” is harder hitting and heavier, bringing out shades of the late 90’s melodic death metal sound. Cutting riffs, raw growls packed with power and slick melodic lines litter the track and the groove it has in its verses will have heads windmilling. “Neuronal Fire” is a more atmospheric number. With its rich melodic layered intro and building progression which has intense verses and massive sounding choruses, it reminds me a lot of the ‘Fiction’ era sound, which I will never complain about!

“Not Nothing” has a haunting feel. The clean arpeggios and clean singing with the subtle electronics create a dark atmosphere and when it picks up, the heavier edge to the melodic compositions which is accompanied by plenty of growls and some clean singing parts gives it a massive sounding feel. “Drowned Out Voices” is a more groove driven approach. The tight chugs which shift into tight chords and melodic blasts which match the intensity of the pacing is just classic Dark Tranquillity. The switch up to a clean section round 2:28 into the track slows things right down and adds an extra edge to the delivery which allows a big bodied final section to come crashing in with plenty of style and presence.

“One Of Us Is Gone” is one of the more personal and poignant tracks on the release. A mournful ballad detailing feeling of loss and how their absence impacts us, it is a track which on multiple listens has always caught my ear. The string sections in the composition are beautifully placed, the lyrics are raw, and the expressiveness of the delivery strikes a chord within you as you listen to it. The switch to the heavier style whilst retaining the melodic aspects of the composition allows for more dynamics to be delivered, adding some shades of optimism to the bleak track whilst still retaining the sorrowful air. It is a beautifully composed and delivered track, just listen to it yourself and you will understand what I mean. “The Last Imagination” which follows this track marks the halfway point and it is pretty much a solid melodic death metal attack, once again delivered with that atmospheric impact you will find on all Dark Tranquillity releases – the subtle edges added by the synth and electronic components just rounds out the sound so well and gives the track that extra dimension to its delivery.

“Enforced Perspective” opens up with some classic 90’s inspired pedal tone riffing and its pretty much a callback to the earlier works and the classic era of melodic death metal. “Our Disconnect” has a bleak edge to its sound, described in the presser as ‘Dystopian’ and ‘Movie Score’ like, I can see where those descriptions come from. The intricate layers of electronica/synth over and wound into the hard-hitting guitar and drums do give it that bleak edge. Even when the progressions open up, the guitars help the track retain that dark and bleak air despite the piano/synth lines being bright and melodic. It works well and you can picture it being inspired by some post-apocalyptic movie, or one which has a cynical take on society. “Wayward Eyes” reminds me a lot of the ‘Damage Done’ and ‘Character’ sound, it’s another refreshing take on the band’s classic sound and that’s all that is needed to say regarding this track – its classic Dark Tranquillity with a modern edge to it.

“A Bleaker Sun” is one of the more oppressive tracks on the album. The lyrics and music are both intense. The heavy rhythm section and crushing riffs match the flat out nihilistic lyrical perspective we are offered, and the tight delivery is retained throughout. With shifts from flat out intense to slowed down and more expansive sounding chorus sections, it is a crushing track from start to finish. “False Reflection” is a more subdued affair than its predecessor. The dark ambient synth work backing the initial section of the verse allows for a warm sounding guitar line and expressive clean vocals. The chorus opens things up more with a bigger sound – brighter sounding progressions act as a counterpoint to the melancholic edged vocal delivery and its slow pace allows you to just sit there and take it all in and get lost in the wonderful soundscape this song has crafted. “Zero Sum” brings things back to the more familiar melodic death metal attack. As the penultimate track kicks off with a melodic refrain over tight chugs, Stanne’s growls have some bite behind them, once again bringing elements of the classic Dark Tranquillity sound to the forefront. With another heavy nod to the ‘Fiction’ era approach, the synth work directs the melodies whilst the instrumentation creates a solid foundation, keeping you on edge as you wait for an explosion of activity in the form of some slick, virtuoso lead work which helps bring the track into its final run. Closing track “In Failure” rounds out the album well with its all-round incorporation of the sonic qualities offered throughout the release. The precise melodic death metal riff arrangements, snarling vocals and melodic sections which open up the track more have a great impact and the blending of harsh vocals and warmer cleans to help keep the flow going ties in well with the overall composition of the track. It is a fine way to close what has been an excellent release.

As I said before we dived into greater detail on the release, “Endtime Signals” is definitely one of the top albums of 2024. I wouldn’t call it decade-defining by any means but I have to give credit to the PR team for making such a bold statement. Instead, what I will say is that Dark Tranquillity have done what they do best – they have delivered a finely tuned expressive slice of atmospherically charged melodic death metal which manages to hit the mark on so many levels. Emotionally charged, intense and intricate, “Endtime Signals” is Dark Tranquillity showing that they know how to give us something new and exciting whilst remaining true to their sound!

(8.5/10 Fraggle)

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