ALBUM REVIEW: Dark Tranquility - Endtime Signals

Few bands are as reliable as the mighty Dark Tranquillity who are releasing their 13th full length album Endtime Signals. The band are a major influence and leading figure in the melodic death metal sound and have been a driving force in the genre for 35 years. Originally forming as Septic Broiler in 1989 before changing their name to Dark Tranquillity in 1991 with the band’s debut album Skydancer arriving in 1993 in the thick of the Gothenburg scene. In the intervening years the band have released some classic albums of the genre including The Gallery, Damage Done and Character, and whilst the band have matured, progressed and modernised over the years they are still undeniably Dark Tranquillity.

Endtime Signals sees them continue to play to all their strengths in a slightly darker and gloomier outing for the band. Darkness has always been an integral feature of Dark Tranquillity (a clue in the name) but there have always been glimmers of hope and positivity in the music and song writing amongst all the doom and gloom. 

However, Endtime Signals features the first material written by the band since 2020, and the ensuing shitshow that the last four years has thrown at humanity. The result is a bleaker and more cynical Dark Tranquillity with the music having a far harsher and more forlorn feel to it with less hooks and punchiness than the previous two albums Moment and Atoma. There is also a degree of aggression and fury in songs such as Unforgivable, Enforced Perspective and A Bleaker Sun ably assisted by the stunning harsh vocals of Mikael Stanne who is one of the finest growlers in metal. He also has a fine clean singing voice which is used to splendid effect in the more atmospheric songs like Not Nothing, One of Us Is Gone and Wayward Eyes. 

The rest of the band put in a fearsome performance with veteran keyboard player Martin Brändström and returning guitarist Johan Reindholdz joined by newcomers Joakim Strandberg-Nilsson on the bass and Christian Jansson on the drums. It may be a new line-up but the band sound like they have been playing together for years. Dark Tranquillity are a band I consider one of my favourites. Whilst they have their better albums, for me they have not released a bad album in their 35-year long career and this trend continues with Endtime Signals. The chaos of 2020 and the seemingly ongoing decline of society really fuels this record, being one of the harshest and darkest albums in recent years from the band. It may lack the immediacy of some of their albums, it’s a bit more of a slow burner which benefits from multiple listens. When it unlocks itself to you, it proves to be an absolute beauty of a record. It is not going to touch the glory of their most esteemed albums, but Dark Tranquillity are still a force to be reckoned with in the realms of melodic death metal in 2024.

Endtime Signals is out today (16th August) via Century Media.

Band photos: Krichan Wihlborg

Review by Richard Oliver