DARK TRANQUILLITY: Moment (DEATH METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

If it remains with In Flames and Arch Enemy one of the most emblematic signatures of melodic death metal in the Swedish style, Dark Tranquillity did not however meet an equivalent commercial success. Less neo than the first one, less sexy than the second one, the band often seemed to hesitate about the direction to follow. Gothic on "Projector", electro on "Haven", more modern on "Character" or "Fiction", the Scandinavians were not always understood but "Atoma" nevertheless managed to make consensus as much with the historical fans as with the new ones. With a career spanning some thirty years, they now have nothing more to prove; they move forward at their own pace, taking (more and more) their time.

This "Moment" comes four years after its predecessor. Its authors like to present it as a return to the "Projector" / "Haven" era, the most controversial but not the least interesting. Quite the contrary. It is moreover allowed to hold the first of the two among the most inspired of the Gothenburg combo, an opinion that is of course not shared by all. Moreover, the departure of guitarist Niklas Sundin, founding member with singer Mikael Stanne and drummer Anders Jivarp, was not a good omen. The recruitment of two technicians, Johan Reinholdz (Andromeda) and above all Christopher Amott (ex Arch Enemy), did not fail to arouse curiosity - or concern, depending on the case. For all these reasons, it was legitimate to question the content of this twelfth effort.

'Phantom days' which starts the listening puts the listener in a comfortable and familiar setting. However, electronic hues and clear vocals enamel a furiously melodic menu, from 'Remain The Unborn' to 'The Dark Unbroken', from 'Ego Deception' to 'Eyes Of The World'. So it's not certain that everyone can find their way around. But it is in those moments, where the shadow of 'Haven' is cast, that the opus proves to be most convincing. In a more aggressive vein, 'Transient' and 'Identical To None' do not disappoint at all.

However, the same cannot be said of 'Empires Lost To Time', 'A Drawn Out Exit' or 'Failstate' which struggle to become embedded in memory. At the end of a journey with no particular flavor, only the tender 'In Truth Divided', in the icy and melancholic register that suits Dark Tranquillity so well, stands out, thanks to the performance of Mikael Stanne and the racy playing of Christopher Amott. "Moment" obviously cannot arouse the slightest reservation. According to his good habit, the singer excels both in the growls and in his clear and delicate flights. Rarely has he been able to express such despair. As for the new recruits, they melt with intelligence in the mould of Dark Tranquillity without trying to modify it... at the risk of disappointing those who expected this album to be a riff factory.

Finally, "Moment" leaves a mixed impression, a technically solid but too uneven work to make it a must-have for Swedes. Its best passages remain those where the imprint of "Projector" and "Haven" proves to be the most marked, which will not make the unanimity. After the consensual "Atoma", his successor will certainly not fail to divide the fans, but he reveals a sincere and always endearing group. - Official website

DARK TRANQUILLITY

MOMENT

CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS

DEATH METAL