Dark Tranquillity is easily amongst the
most well-recognized and influential bands in the melodic death metal scene.
Despite this, I’ve never had an interest in checking them out. After seeing a
rousing performance at Wacken in 2015, it seemed appropriate to listen to their
next album. “Atoma” is the band’s new release, and even to a non-fan of the
band, it was a fairly predictable effort. There are a couple of really fast,
thrashy tracks that are in the style I presume the band used to use more often.
Most of the album, however, leans more towards the mid-paced side of things,
and mixes in growling with clean singing. Unlike many of their peers, however,
Dark Tranquillity haven’t abandoned aggression altogether, nor have they made
the singing so prevalent that it will ruin the album for you if you only care
for growling in melodeath.
One recurring theme on “Atoma” is the
strong usage of piano and keyboards. The way they are used in songs like the
title track and “Forward Momentum” results in an almost pop-like sound. These
efforts make Dark Tranquillity’s music sound nowhere near what you would expect
from a band that plays an offshoot of death metal. It simply feels too happy or
upbeat at times. As noted, however, this really isn’t a far stretch from other
melodeath bands. These types of songs show the similarities between melodic death metal and modern power metal such as Avantasia.
More important than the particular tricks
the band uses are the quality of the songs, and this is where Dark Tranquillity
shines. The album is slightly front-loaded, with tracks like “Encircled” and
“Force of Hand” sticking out. However, the quality doesn’t end on the latter
half of the record; it just isn’t as strong as the first 5 or so songs. After
the first couple of listens, there are plenty of moments that are easy to growl
along to.
There is little to complain about on
“Atoma”, other than the fact that it feels a little bit faceless. Undoubtedly,
there are numerous melodic death metal records that are just as compelling as
this one, and as a novice listener of that style, I would have expected
something more profound from one of the subgenre’s giants. Granted, without
even listening I know this is miles ahead of a contemporary such as In Flames,
but based solely on this record, I would imagine there are better places to
start with Dark Tranquillity’s music. Nevertheless, “Atoma” is a reliable
effort.
Highlights
"Encircled"
"Atoma"
"Force of Hand"
Final Rating
3.6/5 or 72%.
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