Dark Tranquillity's Endtime Signals: A Return to Form for the Melodic Death Metal Legends

Dark Tranquillity, the Swedish pioneers of the "Gothenburg Sound," have long held a special place in the hearts of metal fans. After their 2020 release, *Moment*, left some questioning if the band was losing its creative edge, *Endtime Signals

arrives with a renewed energy and a welcome return to form.

*Endtime Signals

opens with the quintessential Dark Tranquillity anthem, "Shivers and Voids." This track encapsulates the band's signature blend of sharp melodeath riffs, icy keyboards, and Mikael Stanne's distinctive death metal rasps, punctuated with his signature clean vocals. The song is both moody and aggressive, with a chorus that sticks in your head from the first listen. It's a powerful statement of intent, immediately reminding fans of what they love about Dark Tranquillity.

This vitality and enthusiasm carry through to the following track, "Unforgivable," which is packed with fury and aggression. Its blackened edges recall the band's *Fiction

era, delivering a nostalgic yet refreshingly brutal sound. "Neuronal Fire" further surprises with its bright energy and urgency, making one question if they've stumbled into an earlier era of the band's extensive discography. The chorus is catchy and the song delivers the goods in a way that reignites the passion for Dark Tranquillity's sound.

"Drowned Out Voices" is an angry thrashing track with echoes of *Projector

in its DNA, while "One of Us is Gone" is a classic Dark Tranquillity emo/goth ballad draped in grey hues and adorned with Stanne's plaintive, melancholic vocals. It provides a welcome change of pace from the impressive melodeath onslaught. The album begins to lose some of its momentum around the eighth track, "Enforced Perspective," and "Our Disconnect," which are both decent but lack the memorability of the earlier tracks.

However, the album course corrects with a strong run to the finish, featuring the extra-heavy "A Bleaker Sun," which carries the spirit of *Damage Done

and *Character*, and the effectively gothic mood piece "False Reflection." While the album feels a touch long, the majority of the songs clock in at around 3-4 minutes, keeping the pace lively.

With a new drummer and bassist on board, *Endtime Signals

still sounds like classic Dark Tranquillity. The album acts as a tour through the band's various eras, with certain songs strongly reminiscent of their classic albums. Mikael Stanne continues to deliver powerhouse vocals, showcasing his rasping death metal and smooth, gothic clean vocals to their full potential. He effortlessly owns these songs, shining especially on the ballad-heavy cuts like "One of Us is Gone" and "False Reflection."

Guitarist Johan Reinholdz delivers a significantly stronger performance than on *Moment,

providing plenty of sharp riffs and moody harmonies. His playing on tracks like "Shivers and Voids" and "Unforgivable" is alternately in-your-face and understated, and on several tracks, he successfully incorporates the stadium melodeath aesthetic of Omnium Gatherum. Longtime keyboardist Martin Brändström successfully adds a gothic, melancholic sheen to the material, resulting in a cold, slightly forlorn atmosphere.

While *Endtime Signals

doesn't quite reach the heights of *Atoma*, it represents a significant step up from *Moment*. The elements that make Dark Tranquillity so loved are back front and centre, and the songwriting is much more memorable. Fans will be pleased, and newcomers will find themselves impressed. It's a joy to hear the band back in the groove, delivering the proper melodeath that we've come to expect from them.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Format Reviewed: STREAM
Label: Century Media

Websites: darktranquillity.com | facebook.com/dtofficial

Releases Worldwide: August 16th, 2024