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Character (2005) Century Media HMM Rank: 
With many other bands pulling the same stunts as the aforementioned metal giants In Flames, Character is nothing short of an enormous breath of fresh air in the world of melodic death metal. This album, for the most part, continues along the same path as their previous effort Damage Done (which I highly suggest you pick up if you haven't already). Although, the one main difference is that the band took a heavier approach during the song writing process. The songs are faster, more crushing, and even reach some moments where the term "blast beat" almost pops into your head. It's basically Damage Done on steroids. Now, I surely wouldn't want to discriminate against those of you whose ears are still virgins to the pummeling greatness that is Dark Tranquility by giving you comparisons all day, so let me try my best to give you a brief description of what they sound like (but on this album in particular for the sake of staying on track). This disc is classic melodic death/Gothenburg metal, but also contains various hints of other influences that allow it to take on a personality of its own. With so many clone bands out there (most of them drawing influences from bands like Dark Tranquility) it might seem as though these guys would be the most primitive and unimaginative of the genre, being that they are one of the originators of the Gothenburg sound and therefore did not have too many other bands to build their sound off of. Regardless of that bit of information, the music they create still has its own unique feel to it, and can easily be distinguished among dozens of bands who play the same style of music. One of the elements that allows this to happen is the electronic atmosphere that the keyboards bring to the music. Even though the keyboards are used frequently enough in the music to where they need to consider the keyboardist just as much of a band member as the others, they still do not overpower the other musicians in any way. The blend of keyboards and guitars is perfect. Also (and others may disagree with me on this), I happen to think that Mikael Stanne has a very distinguishable growl. I'm not entirely sure why, but I find his growls very easy to recognize. Anyway, on to the songs. The album begins with a strong opener, "The New Build", and wastes no time getting into the music. The first thing that comes out of the speakers is a speedy riff that is followed by some of the trademark guitar harmonies, thrashy verses, and catchy choruses that we all know and love. They stay consistent throughout the rest of the album with plenty of catchy riffs and breakdowns, solos and harmonies, and occasional piano playing in addition to the typically electronic sounding keyboards. "Lost to Apathy" seems to be the fan favorite so far, and others such as "Out of Nothing", "Am I 1?", and "Senses Tied" are all equally as impressive. They also slow down the tempo a little on "The Endless Feed" and "My Negation". Overall, every song on the album has the power to get your head banging. Like on Damage Done, there are no clean vocals on the disc, even though that is something they have experimented with on previous albums. Another thing I'd like to mention is that the band is also very tight, and the songs are surprisingly technical (these guys are definitely familiar with their instruments). The only thing that I would change on this album is the level of the solos. Sometimes the solos seem too low in the mix, and the album has moments where I would have liked to hear them at the forefront (such as the solo in "Dry Run"). The bass could have also been kicked up a notch. Other than that, the production is clear, crisp, and really allows the band's talent to shine through. Like I said before, if you have never heard this band before then I highly suggest you go out and buy this album (along with their other albums). In my personal opinion, Dark Tranquility have now taken the throne as the masters of melodic death metal. As for the long time fans, you have nothing to fear. These guys don't sound like they're going to be following any trends or "selling out" anytime soon.
Reviewed 02/05/2005
Official Dark Tranquility Website
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