Dark Tranquillity - Construct

Dark Tranquillity have always been (to me) as a band that never got the attention they deserved.  I learned this when purchasing my first concert ticket to their show.  In Toronto on May 20th, 2010 alongside Mutiny Within, the guys had an impressive size crowd and a great set!  For a first timer and knowing little to nothing about the band, I was instantly hooked.  My only previous knowledge of them was in relation to In Flames, where DT's lead vocalist Mikael Stanne acted as lead vocals for In Flames' "Lunar Strain" album back in 1993.  Other than that, I really only anticipated what I've seen from previous melodic death metal bands.



So upon discovering these guys during their 2005 album "Character", I was quite excited to hear the progression of the band.  As some would argue, In Flames and DT share similar qualities.  They both have evolved as a band for the better.  Die hard fans will tell you otherwise with the typical "they USED to be good" kind of bullshit.  I agree that bands can really take a nose dive into the shitter throughout their career, but DT is one of those bands where the song structure and complexity of the albums (plus the production values) have gone up in quality consistently.  Check out the first single "The Science of Noise" and drop thoughts if you don't agree with my opinionated progression.

"The selected few people that so far have been granted the privilege of hearing the full album are uniformingly convinced that 'Construct' is the strongest and most exciting DARK TRANQUILLITY album in a long time, and who are we to disagree? 




While still bearing the unmistakable mark of the DARK TRANQUILLITY, the record is probably our most different and diverse offering since 1999's 'Projector'. For now, we're pleased to share the tracklist, trailer and sleeve design with you, but the first musical preview will appear in the near future."

So now you got a sample of the new album, here is the album cover (which seems quite simple, straight and to the point) and a track list to go along with it.  The album is set for May 27th, 2013 release date via Century Media Records.  The album was mixed and mastered by production guru Jens Bogren, who has worked with other artists such as Devin Townsend, Bloodbath, The Safety Fire, Kreator, Opeth, Soilwork and more!

1. For Broken Words
2. The Science Of Noise
3. Uniformity
4. The Silence In Between
5. Apathetic
6. What Only You Know
7. Endtime Hearts
8. State Of Trust
9. Weight Of The End
10. None Becoming
11. Immemorial (U.S. bonus track)
12. Photon Dreams (U.S. bonus track)



First music video was released late last week and features the track "Uniformity" and as you can read from the description below, the band tried to cover all angles/aspects of the album so that listeners got to see the different dynamics of "Constuct".

"After the introspective 'For Broken Words' and the uptempo riffing of 'The Science Of Noise', it's time to showcase the more anthemic aspects of the new album with the song 'Uniformity'."

We must come to terms

Admit we are defeated

We must come to terms

With bias and deception

Stand up and be counted

In uniformity

"In contrast to the more experimental promo videos we made last year, we wanted the 'Uniformity' clip to be an intimate and genuine performance video. Nothing but the music itself and the band members playing in the rehearsal room. For this, we hired renowned director Patric Ullaeus, and we're very happy to share the result with you.  Stand up and be counted!"



More information as it comes in.  Not that you really need much more info than what has already been released, but more info is always better.  The album (thus far) seems like a great addition to the DT discography.  Most of the album reviews have confirmed the hype behind it.  For instance, notable Austrian music website Metal Underground has concluded (loosely translated from German):

"In my opinion the melodic death metal album of the year. The Swedes continue to deny their way. By some nuances to further developments and additions to permanent resists comparisons, as well as the word self-copy from chilling. The guys must know how sophisticated melodic death metal sound. The atmosphere on this album is incredible and you can expand this concept further still, because it simply knows how to please."

You can read the full review here.