"I just want these guys to write riffs again. Why do melodic death metal bands fall into the trap of "keyboards = atmosphere" and lazy, simple riffs. They key to good music in this genre is good guitar work."

So accurate, DT have really gotten a lot more boring since they started leaning more heavily into the keyboards IMO

Song is so boring, just like their last 4 albums

Construct was good. Others have not been up to par

Album Rating: 4.0

I think Atoma > Construct > Moment.

Album Rating: 3.0

DT making stadium rock now

Album Rating: 3.5

This album could've been a lot better if the new guitarists were allowed to have any input in the songwriting.



The new single is meh, hopefully it's just the worst on the album. Any smidge of hope I had that the new one would have some more guitar driven melodies and less keys is all but gone now though.

Album Rating: 3.0

"This album could've been a lot better if the new guitarists were allowed to have any input in the songwriting."



Reinholdz, one of the new guitarists, has sole writing credit on 3 of the songs, and co-writing credit on 5 of the songs on this album.

Album Rating: 3.5

That input was incredibly limited. Stanne stated it himself in an interview, they basically didn't want the new guitarists to mess with their creative process.



I guess I should have wrote "more" input, but it really was virtually none regardless of the fact that Johan Reinholdz is credited on a few songs. There was something else I read when it came out, but this is a small quote from Stanne regarding the writing process (shortly after talking about Johan writing stuff, then saying how it got weird because they were used to writing a certain way, and they had to make sure Brandstrom supervised "every note"). So he didn't even have free reign over what he did write, and Amott isn't credited anywhere.



"It was a lot of fun at first where we didn’t really know what direction to go, but after a while we found what we wanted and what felt right. I think more than anything, Martin Brandstrom who produced this, realized that he needs to be there and focused and make sure that every single note is under his direct supervision. Otherwise, we’re going to lose it, because there were so many loose parts and so many ideas and so many strong wills, leading in all different directions. "

Album Rating: 3.5

Ah, the other interview I remember is on the first page of the review. Willie posted some of it, I'm just copy/pasting. These are quotes from Mikael Stanne.

-So going into this album, knowing that we have Chris [Amott] and Johan [Reinholdz], we had to incorporate their talents and way of playing and thinking into it. But we also had a lot of songs ready.

- Martin Brändström has grown into this role even more with this album. He took on a lot more responsibility when it comes to making sure that everyone is on the same page, keeping the songs focused and strong. He made sure the songs kept to the rules and ideas that we are about.

-Sometimes Johan would do something that we thought was fantastic but didn’t fit, or sometimes Chris would do something fantastic, but it wasn’t really D.T. – there’s this weird policing that goes along with it.

Album Rating: 4.0

Anyone checked out the new/first Cemetery Skyline single? Goth rock super group project with Mikael on vocals. Sounded a little basic to me. Needed a little extra something-something. Maybe some guitar lead work.

Album Rating: 3.0

Had no idea he was in another band except Halo Effect. Will check



Edit: I kinda digged it ngl, definitely better than the latest DT single although obviously very different. Really interesting to see Mikael with only clean vocals, he sounds great imo

Album Rating: 4.0

Oh yeah you can always count on his cleans being solid. His voice works well for the style. While the single didn’t grab me I’ll be interested to hear whatever they put on an EP/LP. But this project was only recently announced. Maybe just like a week before the single. So you’re not slacking or anything.

Album Rating: 3.0

@hexfix93 ah that clarifies it, I didn't know their input was supervised that way



@kusangii Mikael is in at least four bands lol



Dark Tranquillity

The Halo Effect

Grand Cadaver

Cemetery Skyline

Album Rating: 3.5

Always thought Mikael would be perfect for a goth rock or post-punk band tbh. His cleans fit so well with that style.

Album Rating: 3.5

Ha, yeah, if you took the verse vocals from Misery's Crown and dropped them in a post-punk song nobody would bat an eye

Album Rating: 3.0

New single on 2 May. There's a small snippet on facebook and it sounds sick, completely different from the snooze-fest that was the last single

Album Rating: 2.5

that snippet is very tasty. Sounds fast and heavy in a way I haven't heard from them in a while. Is there hope?

Album Rating: 3.5

That snippet has a very NonExist vibe, lol

Album Rating: 4.0

New single out on Thursday. Teaser on socials sounds sick. Finally a faster one.

Album Rating: 4.0

Oops, didn’t read other comments before commenting. Heh