Artist: Dark Tranquillity Album: Projector

Year: 1999
Duration: 0:0-1

A Critical Review of the Album: Projector by Dark Tranquillity

Dark Tranquillity has been blessing our ears since the early 90s with their signature sound of melodic death metal. Over the years, the band has established themselves as pioneers and legends of the genre. Their album 'Projector,' released in 1999, marked a shift in their sound and brought forth a new era for the band. In this blog post, we'll be critically reviewing this album, discussing the band's history, the music genre of the album, the best songs, the most innovative parts, and giving an overall critique.

Dark Tranquillity was formed in 1989 in Gothenburg, Sweden, by guitarist Niklas Sundin and vocalist Mikael Stanne. Their distinctive style of melodic death metal, often referred to as the Gothenburg sound, gained them a massive following in the metal community. By the time they released 'Projector' in 1999, they already had five highly acclaimed albums under their belts.

'Projector' is considered one of Dark Tranquillity's most experimental albums, deviating from their traditional melodic death metal sound. This album presents a more atmospheric and melodic approach, featuring the use of clean vocals and keyboards. While some fans were disappointed with this new direction, it also brought in a new fan base and showcased the band's versatility.

The album's opening track, Freecard, is a hauntingly beautiful instrumental that sets the tone for the rest of the album. Therein, the second track, features clean vocals and showcases the band's new direction. Undo Control and Auctioned are two of the best songs on the album, showcasing the perfect balance of their melodic and heavy sound.

One of the most innovative parts of the album is the lyrics. They tackle themes of alienation, disillusionment, and the human condition. They also experiment with different song structures, particularly in tracks like Day to End and Nether Novas.

As with any experimentation, there are bound to be disappointments. Still Moving Sinews and Dobermann are weaker tracks that don't quite measure up to the rest of the album. In hindsight, it's clear to see that Dark Tranquillity was still trying to figure out their new sound, resulting in some inconsistencies.

Overall, 'Projector' is a highly innovative album that showcases Dark Tranquillity's versatility and willingness to experiment. While it may not be the most consistent album, it's still a worthwhile addition to any metalhead's collection. It's a testament to their willingness to evolve and not be held down by convention. If you're a fan of melodic death metal and haven't given this album a listen, you're undoubtedly missing out on a masterpiece.