Dark Tranquillity
- MEMBERS:
- Mikael Stanne – lead vocals
- Niklas Sundin – guitars
- Anders Iwers – bass
- Martin Brändström – keyboards, programming
- Anders Jivarp – drums
BIOGRAPHY
Early years and Skydancer
Dark Tranquillity was formed in 1989 by the current vocalist and then rhythm guitarist Mikael Stanne, and guitarist Niklas Sundin, under the name Septic Broiler. Three additional members, Anders Fridén, Anders Jivarp and Martin Henriksson, later joined the line-up.
In 1990, the band recorded a demo entitled Enfeebled Earth before changing their name to Dark Tranquillity, which featured a largely thrash metal-influenced style of death metal, comparable to early Death. It was followed by multiple demos, including Trail of Life Decayed in 1991 and A Moonclad Reflectionin 1992, which both showed a progression into the more melodic nuances of death metal that the band would explore on their later studio releases.
In August 1993, the band released their debut album Skydancer. Soon after, vocalist Anders Fridén left the band and joined fellow Gothenburg band, In Flames. Rhythm guitarist Mikael Stanne then assumed the position of lead vocalist, and Fredrik Johansson was recruited to take over rhythm guitar duties.
The Gallery
In 1994, Dark Tranquillity covered the song My Friend of Misery for the Metallica tribute album, Metal Militia – A Tribute to Metallica.
In 1995, the band released an EP, Of Chaos and Eternal Night, which was later followed by the release of their second studio album, The Gallery. The Gallery is often referred to as a masterpiece from the era.
The Mind’s I
Dark Tranquillity released their second EP, Enter Suicidal Angels, in November 1996. They later released their third album, The Mind’s I, was released in April 1997, with the band continuing further with the sound conveyed on The Gallery.
Projector
In January 1999, with the band’s album Projector recorded months prior and its release months ahead, Fredrik Johansson was fired by the rest of Dark Tranquillity, due to Johansson wanting to focus more on being a father, meaning also he couldn’t tour with the band and leave his family anymore and he wanted to keep a day job as opposed to the difficulties of being in the music industry. There were mutually no hard feelings between both parties, but with all of Johansson’s reasons, the band still saw it as a lack of commitment to Dark Tranquillity as well. The album marks the last new release with Johansson. With difficulties always finding a new guitar player, a switch then occurred in the band when Johansson empty guitarist position was then taken the band’s bassist Martin Henriksson, who was a little bit reluctant at the time to do the switch as he believed he was an average guitar player, but still went on to do so. To take Henriksson’s bassist position the band hired Michael Nicklasson. Since the album included a lot of piano, keyboards, and electronics the band also hired an additional full-time member, Martin Brändström as their first keyboardist to complete their lineup and to tour for the album, additionally the band wanted these elements to become an integral part of the band’s sound. With the new lineup, they played live bonus tracks of the reissue of this album and filmed a music video for “ThereIn”.
Projector was released in June 1999. It was the fourth album from the band, and was later nominated for a Swedish Grammy Award. The album saw a major change in songwriting: while retaining growled vocals and their signature death metal sound, pianos, baritone soft vocals, and verse-chorus fashion song structures were now integral parts of Dark Tranquillity’s sound, reflecting the band’s goal to strive for different musical expressions. Also during this time, Skydancer and Of Chaos and Eternal Night were reissued together as Skydancer/Of Chaos and Eternal Night.
Haven
A year later saw the release of Haven, which featured prominent electronics in comparison to previous releases. Like its predecessor, Haven was also received in a generally mixed manner by fans and critics alike.
As the band toured in 2001, the band hired Robin Engström to play live, due to Jivarp’s commitments as a new father.
Damage Done
Dark Tranquillity released Damage Done in 2002, and was intended to be a step in a much heavier direction, adding thicker guitar distortion, deep atmospheric keyboards, and abandoning soft vocals altogether. They released the music video for the single “Monochromatic Stains”, followed by their release of Live Damage, their first live DVD. In 2004, Exposures – In Retrospect and Denialwas released.
Character
Character was the seventh release from Dark Tranquillity, released in 2005, and was held in much critical praise. It featured the third music video released by Dark Tranquillity, with the successful single “Lost to Apathy”. After releasing the album, the band played live in Canada for the first time.
Fiction
On May 25, 2009, reissues of Projector, Haven, and Damage Done were released.
We Are the Void
On October 14, 2009, Dark Tranquillity finished work on their ninth studio album. On October 26, 2009 they released a DVD titled Where Death Is Most Alive. On October 30, 2009 at the release party of the DVD 333 copies were given away for free of the rare live album The Dying Fragments. On December 21, 2009, Dark Tranquillity released the song “Dream Oblivion”, and on January 14, 2010, they released the song “At the Point of Ignition”, from their ninth album, exclusively on their MySpace page. Their ninth album, titled We Are the Void, was released on March 1, 2010 in Europe, and March 2, 2010 in the US. They were also the opening act for a US winter tour that was headlined by Killswitch Engage and joined by The Devil Wears Prada.
Dark Tranquillity headlined a North American tour in May–June 2010 with Threat Signal, Mutiny Within and The Absence.[6] In February 2011, the band performed live at BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus in Hyderabad, India.
Construct
On April 27, 2012, Dark Tranquillity re-signed with Century Media. On October 18, 2012, the band began writing for the album. On January 10, 2013, the band announced the title of their tenth album would be Construct, and it was released in Europe on May 27, 2013 and in North America on May 28, 2013. The album was mixed by Jens Bogren at his Fascination Street studios in Örebro, Sweden.
On February 18, 2013, Antonsson amicably left Dark Tranquillity, citing a desire to focus on playing guitar and being a recording engineer and producer. On February 27, 2013, the band announced that they completed recording the album. Although Antonsson remained during the recording of “Construct”, he did not perform the bass. According to Niklas Sundin’s Twitter, he hasn’t been excited for a Dark Tranquillity release since Skydancer, due to the fact that the recording sessions for all their other releases were “way too long” compared to Construct.
On March 27, 2013, a teaser campaign and track list for Construct were revealed. The band also commented on the style of the album, saying, “While still bearing the unmistakable mark of the Dark Tranquillity, the record is probably our most different and diverse offering since 1999’s Projector“.
To promote the album, the band is touring the world with dates in Finland and North Americaalongside Omnium Gatherum, Europe with Tristania, and Sweden with Darkane.
On July 10, 2013, a b-side from Construct, titled “Sorrow’s Architect”, was released on a limited flexi 7″ released with an issue of Decibel. On January 14, 2014, the band announced that the song will be released with another b-side, titled “A Memory Construct”, on a limited tour 7″ and digitally which also includes the “Sorrow’s Architect”. The 7″ became available on February 1, 2014, and digitally in March 2014.
On March 2016, guitarist Martin Henriksson has announced his departure from the band, admitting he had “lost the passion for playing music” after playing in the band for 26 years.
Atoma
On May 22, 2016, Dark Tranquillity began recording their eleventh full-length album Atoma but didn’t officially announce it until July 6. The album was finally released on November 4, 2016, via Century Media. In March 2017, the band released the song The Absolute, which was recorded during the Atoma sessions, as a digital single.
DISCOGRAPHY
Atoma / 2016
- Encircled
- Atoma
- Forward Momentum
- Neutrality
- Force Of Hand
- Faithless By Default
- The Pitiless
- Our Proof Of Life
- Clearing Skies
- When The World Screams
- Merciless Fate
- Caves And Embers
- The Absolute
- Time Out Of Place
Atoma is the eleventh full-length studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity. It was released on 4 November 2016 through Century Media Records. Atoma is the band’s first studio album with new bassist Anders Iwers, who replaced founding member Martin Henriksson (also the rhythm guitarist), after Henriksson left the band in early 2016 due to loss of passion for playing music.
Two songs, “The Absolute” and “Time Out of Place”, were recorded during the making of this album, but were released on a bonus disc in the limited edition. These songs are softer, darker and more brooding with only clean singing, reminiscent of bands such as Katatonia and the later Opeth. Another song, “Reconstruction Time Again”, was released as a Japanese edition bonus track. It is a nine-minute electro-industrial medley of some songs from the Construct album, specifically “State of Trust”, “None Becoming”, and “Uniformity”.
Construct / 2013
- For Broken Words
- The Science Of Noise
- Uniformity
- The Silence In Between
- Apathetic
- What Only You Know
- Endtime Hearts
- State Of Trust
- Weight Of The End
- None Becoming
- Immemorial
- Photon Dreams
Construct is the tenth full-length studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity. It was released on 27 May 2013 through Century Media Records. A music video for “Uniformity”, directed by Patric Ullaeus, was released on 10 May 2013. The album was written during what the band described as their “darkest period” and drew critical praise for its melodrama and darkness.
Construct would be the band’s last studio album with founding member guitarist Martin Henriksson as he left the band in early 2016 due to loss of passion for playing music
We Are the Void / 2010
- hadow In Our Blood
- Dream Oblivion
- The Fatalist
- In My Absence
- The Grandest Accusation
- At The Point Of Ignition
- Her Silent Language
- Arkhangelsk
- I Am The Void
- Surface The Infinite
- Iridium
- Zero Distance
- Out Of Gravity
- Star Of Nothingness
- To Where Fires Cannot Feed
- The Bow And The Arrow
We Are the Void is the ninth full-length studio album by Swedish, melodeath band, Dark Tranquillity. It is their first and only album with bassist, Daniel Antonsson who joined in 2008 and left in 2013.
The band began writing for this album in late 2008 (except for the majority of “Iridium” which was written sometime between 1996-1998 but was left out until this album), all the way up to its recording and is considered to be the second part to their previous album, Fiction, as it continued many of the latter’s elements, including the Drop B tuning that was largely present and the clean vocals Mikael Stanne re-introduced on that album.[3]
The band also began to release songs from this album on their MySpace page[4] starting with “Dream Oblivion” on 21 December 2009, “At the Point of Ignition” on 14 January 2010 and finally the entire album was available for free streaming on 19 February 2010.
Music videos were released for “Shadow in Our Blood” on 10 February 2010 and “In My Absence” on 22 February 2012.
Fiction / 2007
- Nothing To No One
- The Lesser Faith
- Terminus (Where Death Is Most Alive)
- Blind At Heart
- Icipher
- Inside The Particle Storm
- Empty Me
- Misery’s Crown
- Focus Shift
- The Mundane And The Magic
- A Closer End
- Winter Triangle
- Below The Radiance
- Silence In The House Of Tongues
Fiction is the eighth studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band, Dark Tranquillity.
The earliest release date for the album was set for North America on April 17, 2007.
This is the last new material to feature Michael Nicklasson as their bassist before leaving in August 2008 and the last release to be recorded at Studio Fredman.
This album marked a few returns of previous quirks the band had done in the past – the song “Inside the Particle Storm” marks the return of Sundin writing lyrics again since “Tongues” from The Mind’s I, Mikael Stanne utilizes clean vocals in addition to his usual growled vocals on “Misery’s Crown” since “In Sight” from Haven (Reissue) and a guest female vocalist on “The Mundane and the Magic” since “Undo Control” from Projector.
A limited edition of the album includes a bonus DVD with live songs, behind the scene footage, Character’s “The New Build” promo video, and the “Focus Shift” video clip. In addition, the limited edition disc features an extended booklet layout, an alternative cover artwork, and includes also a free Dark Tranquillity patch.
An expanded edition was released in North America on May 27 and was scheduled for Worldwide release on June 23, 2008.
Character / 2005
- The New Build
- Through Smudged Lenses
- Out Of Nothing
- The Endless Feed
- Lost To Apathy
- Mind Matters
- One Thought
- Dry Run
- Am I 1?
- Senses Tied
- My Negation
Character is the seventh studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band, Dark Tranquillity. The album was first released on January 24, 2005 through Century Media Records. The corresponding single, “Lost to Apathy” was previously featured on the Lost to Apathy EP, their first EP released in nearly ten years. This album is heavier than the band’s previous album, with more aggressive and faster songs. Like the band’s previous album, there are no clean vocals. The enhanced CD and digipak editions of the album include the video clip for the single “Lost to Apathy”. A music video was also made for “The New Build”. The album was also released as an LPwith different cover art.
Damage Done / 2002
- Final Resistance
- Hours Passed In Exile
- Monochromatic Stains
- Single Part Of Two
- The Treason Wall
- Format C: For Cortex
- Damage Done
- Cathode Ray Sunshine
- The Enemy
- I, Deception
- White Noise / Black Silence
- Ex Nihilo
- The Poison Well
Damage Done is the sixth full-length studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity. Here, the band returns to a more classic style while holding the new changes made in their albums Haven and Projector, especially in the keyboards, but this is the first record since “Projector” that does not feature clean vocals. Martin Henriksson started doing some “lead guitar riffs” on the record, so the band showed influences from The Gallery in the duality of lead guitars. Mikael Stanne said that the lyrics on this album are about the frailty of life.
The song “Cathode Ray Sunshine” is featured in the video game’s soundtrack, Brütal Legend.
Several versions of the album feature a bonus track entitled “I, Deception” as well as the “Monochromatic Stains” video clip but it is known that the limited edition digipak contains them. The Japanese version of the album features the bonus track, “The Poison Well”. The vinyl release includes “I, Deception” and also has different cover art. The 2009 reissue includes bonus tracks and digitally remastered audio.
This is the first release for the band to chart.
Haven / 2000
- The Wonders At Your Feet
- Not Built To Last
- Indifferent Suns
- Feast Of Burden
- Haven
- The Same
- Fabric
- Ego Drama
- Rundown
- Emptier Still
- At Loss For Words
- Cornered
Haven is the fifth full-length studio album by the band Dark Tranquillity, released on July 7 2000.
This release is the first to feature Mikael Niklasson and Martin Brändström, and the first release with Martin Henriksson on guitar, switching from his previous position on bass. This release marks the last contribution of vocalist Anders Fridén.
Projector / 1999
- Freecard
- Therein
- Undo Control
- Auctioned
- To A Bitter Halt
- The Sun Fired Blanks
- Nether Novas
- Day To End
- Dobermann
- On Your Time
- Exposure
Projector (stylized : projector, or on the reissue, p.r.o.j.e.c.t.o.r.) is the fourth full-length studio album by the melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity.
The Mind's I / 1997
- Dreamlore Degenerate
- Zodijackyl Light
- Hedon
- Scythe, Rage And Roses
- Constant
- Dissolution Factor Red
- Insanity’s Crescendo
- Still Moving Sinews
- Atom Heart 243.5
- Tidal Tantrum
- Tongues
- The Mind’s Eye
The Mind’s I is the third full-length studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity, released in 1997.
In 2004, The Mind’s I was re-released under Osmose Productions and in 2005 by Century Media Records with new layouts, the four-song Enter Suicidal Angels EP, two live videos and the music video for the song “Hedon”.
This is the only Dark Tranquility release on which Anders Jivarp receives no writing credits.
The Gallery / 1995
- Punish My Heaven
- Silence, And The Firmament Withdrew
- Edenspring
- The Dividing Line
- The Gallery
- The One Brooding Warning
- Midway Through Infinity
- Lethe
- The Emptiness From Which I Fed
- Mine Is The Grandeur…
- …Of Melancholy Burning
- Bringer Of Torture
- Sacred Reich
- 22 Acacia Avenue
- Lady In Black
- My Friend Of Misery
The Gallery is the second full-length studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity, released on November 27, 1995. It was the first full-length release to feature Mikael Stanne. on vocals, as he was previously the rhythm guitarist.
In 2004, Century Media Records re-released The Gallery with new layouts and five cover songs as bonus tracks.
Skydancer / 1993
- Nightfall By The Shore Of Time
- Crimson Winds
- A Bolt Of Blazing Gold
- In Tears Bereaved
- Skywards
- Through Ebony Archways
- Shadow Duet
- My Faeryland Forgotten
- Alone
Skydancer is the debut studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band, Dark Tranquillity. This release was the last recorded output to feature vocalist Anders Fridén, later of In Flames, who was fired and replaced by then rhythm guitarist, Mikael Stanne. Incidentally, Mikael Stanne was the lead vocalist on the first In Flames studio album, Lunar Strain.
The album was re-released in 1999 by Century Media Records as Skydancer/Of Chaos and Eternal Night. Skydancer is set to be remastered and reissued later in 2013 in celebration of the album’s twentieth anniversary.
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TOURDATES
| Date | Venue | City | Country | Info | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-31T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Berlin | Germany | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-01T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Prague | Czech Republic | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-02T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Leipzig | Germany | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-03T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Köln | Germany | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-05T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | London | United Kingdom | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-06T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Eindhoven | Netherlands | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-07T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Munich | Germany | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-08T19:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Solothurn | Switzerland | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-09T19:00:00 | Hell's Balls Belgium 2024 | Kortrijk | Belgium | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-10T18:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Paris | France | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-11T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Toulouse | France | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-13T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | L'hospitalet De Llobregat | Spain | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-14T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Villava | Spain | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-15T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Madrid | Spain | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-16T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Santander | Spain | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-18T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Villeurbanne | France | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-19T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Lindau | Germany | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-20T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Budapest | Hungary | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-21T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Vienna | Austria | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-22T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Karlsruhe | Germany | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-23T19:00:00 | Metal Hammer Paradise 2024 | Weissenhäuser Strand | Germany | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-24T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Copenhagen | Denmark | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-26T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Oslo | Norway | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-28T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Stockholm | Sweden | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-29T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Örebro | Sweden | Info | Tickets |
| 2024-11-30T20:00:00 | Endtime Signals Tour | Göteborg | Sweden | Info | Tickets |
| 2025-07-02T19:00:00 | Rockharz 2025 | Ballenstedt | Germany | Info | Tickets |