Album Review: Dark Tranquillity – Endtime Signals

Gothenburg’s Finest

Dark Tranquillity, the undisputed champions of the Gothenburg sound, are back with “Endtime Signals“, their 13th studio album that proves these Swedish veterans still have plenty of tricks up their sleeves. After the somewhat tepid reception of 2020’s “Moment,” the band has returned with a vengeance, serving up a feast of melodic death metal that’s sure to satiate even the most ravenous of fans.

The Songs

From the opening salvo of “Shivers and Voids“, it’s clear that Dark Tranquillity isn’t here to mess around. The album is a melodeath masterclass, seamlessly blending razor-sharp riffs, icy keyboards, and Mikael Stanne’s trademark growls. Tracks like “Unforgivable” and “Neuronal Fire” showcase the band’s ability to balance aggression with melody, while “One of Us is Gone” proves they can still nail those goth-tinged ballads that made you cry into your studded wristbands back in the day.

While the lyrics might make you want to curl up in a dark corner and contemplate the futility of existence, the music itself is anything but defeatist. “Endtime Signals” is a testament to Dark Tranquillity’s resilience, with tracks like “Not Nothing” and “The Last Imagination” serving as anthems for a world on fire. It’s like they’ve taken a long, hard look at the state of things and said, “Well, if we’re going down, we’re going down swinging.”

New Blood, Same Dark Heart

With new drummer Joakim Strandberg-Nilsson and bassist Christian Jansson joining the fold, you might expect some growing pains. Instead, the new lineup has injected a shot of adrenaline straight into Dark Tranquillity’s musical corpus. Guitarist Johan Reinholdz, in particular, seems to have found his groove, delivering solos that’ll make your ears weep with joy while simultaneously melting your face off.

The Verdict

“Endtime Signals” is like a finely aged whiskey that burns going down, but leaves you with a warm, satisfied feeling. Dark Tranquillity has managed to distill the essence of their three-decade career into a single, cohesive album that both honors their past and pushes forward into new territory. It’s a triumphant return to form that proves these Gothenburg godfathers still have plenty of fuel in the tank.
For the faithful, this is the melodeath second coming you’ve been waiting for. For the uninitiated… well, there’s never been a better time to sell your soul to the Gothenburg sound. Dark Tranquillity isn’t just back, they’re setting the bar for everyone else.

Tracklist

1. Shivers and Voids
2. Unforgivable
3. Neuronal Fire
4. Not Nothing
5. Drowned Out Voices
6. One of Us Is Gone
7. The Last Imagination
8. Enforced Perspective
9. Our Disconnect
10. Wayward Eyes
11. A Bleaker Sun
12. False Reflection