Post by Peace Sells on Aug 5, 2006 12:17:22 GMT -5
I’ve been hesitant to write this review for a while simply because I find this album so flawless and perfect in every angle that it could only give a reader a false idea that this is the Atlantis of all Gothenburg albums. With that being said, I find it to be exactly that; the best album of Dark Tranquillity’s career and of all Gothenburg. Yes, that includes The Jester Race and Slaughter of the Soul, and certainly makes an absolute joke out of Come Clarity. Listen to ‘Scream’ and then ‘The Endless Feed’ and you tell me who has only gotten better with time.
The first thing to mention about the album is the lyrics. I knew Stanne was great at writing lyrics, but these are by far the absolute best he has ever written. ‘Through Smudged Lenses’ stands out in particular with such lines as “These walls are protecting us, Burn them to the ground, This haven of refuge, Burn them to the ground, So smudge the lenses a little, We’ll muffle the voice, Fade out the sound awhile, And let it go.” I could quote the entire song, along with ‘Lost to Apathy’ and ‘The Endless Feed’; they are all extremely well done. In such stated songs the lyrics are so well done that they take the reins of the song, so instead of listening to that crushing riff, you listen and pay really close to the lyrics. For all those endless bands that need to learn how to write decent lyrics, this should be their bible.
But what about those riffs? Are the comparable to the ones they laid down on previous albums, such as ‘Cathode Ray Sunshine’ and ‘Hours Passed in Exile’? Oh yes, they certainly are. By far the highlight of the album is ‘Dry Run’, although ‘The New Build’, ‘Through Smudged Lenses’, and ‘Lost to Apathy’ deserve an honorable mention. There is so much energy in the songs that it almost becomes tangible. All the songs are highly powered and inspired, there is not one dull moment. It almost makes whatever you listen to next not seem up to par, which is a feeling I will never get tired of.
All in all, it would be superfluous for me to do a song by song review, as all the songs are brilliant in their own way. Hence, no song would be below an A-. The album as a whole is nothing short of a masterpiece and I have yet to listen to one of their other albums in months. In fact, they almost did themselves an injustice, as after listening to this all of their back catalogue doesn’t seem as well done. I still haven’t given Skydancer or Haven so much of a glance since purchasing this gem. Once the last note is struck, the last growl is growled, and there is no more music to be heard, this album becomes one of the finest albums I have ever heard. An absolute must for any person who gives themselves respect.
A+
The first thing to mention about the album is the lyrics. I knew Stanne was great at writing lyrics, but these are by far the absolute best he has ever written. ‘Through Smudged Lenses’ stands out in particular with such lines as “These walls are protecting us, Burn them to the ground, This haven of refuge, Burn them to the ground, So smudge the lenses a little, We’ll muffle the voice, Fade out the sound awhile, And let it go.” I could quote the entire song, along with ‘Lost to Apathy’ and ‘The Endless Feed’; they are all extremely well done. In such stated songs the lyrics are so well done that they take the reins of the song, so instead of listening to that crushing riff, you listen and pay really close to the lyrics. For all those endless bands that need to learn how to write decent lyrics, this should be their bible.
But what about those riffs? Are the comparable to the ones they laid down on previous albums, such as ‘Cathode Ray Sunshine’ and ‘Hours Passed in Exile’? Oh yes, they certainly are. By far the highlight of the album is ‘Dry Run’, although ‘The New Build’, ‘Through Smudged Lenses’, and ‘Lost to Apathy’ deserve an honorable mention. There is so much energy in the songs that it almost becomes tangible. All the songs are highly powered and inspired, there is not one dull moment. It almost makes whatever you listen to next not seem up to par, which is a feeling I will never get tired of.
All in all, it would be superfluous for me to do a song by song review, as all the songs are brilliant in their own way. Hence, no song would be below an A-. The album as a whole is nothing short of a masterpiece and I have yet to listen to one of their other albums in months. In fact, they almost did themselves an injustice, as after listening to this all of their back catalogue doesn’t seem as well done. I still haven’t given Skydancer or Haven so much of a glance since purchasing this gem. Once the last note is struck, the last growl is growled, and there is no more music to be heard, this album becomes one of the finest albums I have ever heard. An absolute must for any person who gives themselves respect.
A+
