Dark Tranquillity get all doomy

Hot on the heels of yesterday's Amon Amarth flavoured excitement comes today's news that Dark Tranquillity have released a preview of the new album Construct. The new song, titled For Broken Words, is a doomy sort of a song. A departure from recent DT records and the band's signature style. The band's spokesperson is quoted to have said "This is one of the heaviest and most brooding tracks from "Construct", so it's a good candidate for the online premiere song position. More music from the album will be presented shortly."

Have a listen here:

Dark Tranquillity - Zero Distance EP plus Bonus DT and Laethora Videos!

I'm not really sure why I forgot about this back in April, but I did. Dark Tranquillity released a new "virtual EP" (i.e. no physical product) called Zero Distance, and released another one of their mind-boggling videos courtesy of Aduro Labs, which is made up of Niklas Sundin, Peter Herneheim and Love Andersson. Sundin, if you remember, was responsible for the last 3 DT videos I posted here.

The EP is available from iTunes and Amazon and is a good, solid new load of exactly what you want from Dark Tranquillity. It's five track listing goes as follows:

1. Zero Distance
2. Out Of Gravity
3. Star Of Nothingness
4. To Where Fires Cannot Feed
5. The Bow And The Arrow

As if the one Aduro video wasn't enough, here is another by Niklas Sundin himself. This one is for The Sightless by Laethora, a band made up mostly of members of The Provenance, and with Mr Sundin thrown in on guitars and videos for good measure.

I'd recommend viewing the HD version of these full screen with the music very loud. But I think that goes without saying!

My Top 10 Essential Metal Albums

While watching Gojira at the Corporation in Sheffield the other day, I was challenged to produce my Top 10 Essential Metal Albums. The albums that I keep going back to, or have some special meaning to me. It's obviously a very personal list and I can guarantee that just about everybody in the world will find fault with it, but that's the point of these things, isn't it?

Dark Tranquillity - We Are The Void Dark Tranquillity's latest album (although it is now five years old), and the one I have played most by a very large margin. I have even played it twice as much as Projector, my previous favourite. Featuring some shudderingly creepy melodeath riffs and covering all the classic Gothenburg bases, you can't go far wrong with this one. It's hard to choose a favourite track of this album, but I guess Shadow In Our Blood or Iridium would take it. Or Her Silent Language, or The Grandest Accusation. One of those, anyway.

Opeth - Ghost Reveries There will always be controversy over choosing a favourite Opeth album, but this is mine, narrowly beating Blackwater Park to the top spot (thanks to my decision to only have one album by any given band in the list). Of all the Opeth albums I have on my iPod (most of them) it's the one I return to time and again for my fix of proggy deathy growliness. The Grand Conjuration is probably the best track, but like We Are The Void there are too many good ones. The cover of Soldier of Fortune is bloody good, too.

Lacuna Coil - Comalies From way back in the days when I was finding my metal feet, as it were, Comalies contains just enough heavy, just enough catchy to get me hooked. This was my gateway drug to a love affair with melodic death metal, of all things. Top track would be Tight Rope, which gives me a little nerdgasm for recognising the game the voiceover samples are taken from.

Agalloch - Marrow Of The Spirit I heard about Agalloch long before I heard Agalloch, and when I finally did hear them, I wondered why I hadn't looked them up before. Dark and disquieting and epic in equal measure. Favourite track would have to be, um, all the tracks. Seriously, I can't choose between them.

Judas Priest - Painkiller The one and only venture into NWOBHM on this list. As must as Iron Maiden is seen as the pinnacle of British heavy metal, you just can't beat Painkiller for volume or tempo. I did air guitar to the title track a couple of months ago and my left shoulder still hasn't forgiven me. My favourite tracks are Painkiller, obviously, and Night Crawler.

Insomnium - Above The Weeping World Although in recent months it has been pushed aside in favour of One For Sorrow, Above The Weeping World is still Insomnium's magnum opus, and proof that they are still one of the finest melodic death bands in the business. I'm starting to think I shouldn't have tried to include a favourite track. On this one The Gale, Mortal Share, The Killjoy and Devoid of Caring are my choices.

Wolverine - Still One of my favourite albums ever. I first heard Sleepy Town on a friend's shuffle, and wanted to know what the rest sounded like. I was amazed, and have been a fan of the band ever since. Sleepy Town itself is high on the list of favourite songs ever, too.

Sylosis - Edge Of The Earth As grandiose and epic as it is proggy as it is ear pummeling. I originally dismissed Sylosis as being too -core for my tastes based on looks alone. Big. Mistake. This album was one of the surprises of 2011 and still gets regular rotation on my commute. It's hard to pick favourite tracks because the whole album flows so well together, although Empyreal (both parts) deserve special mention.

Eluveitie - Slania Is it folk metal, or is it Gothenburg melodic death with a hurdy gurdy? I don't really know, but it's bloody good. I first heard of (and, indeed, heard) Eluveitie at Bloodstock '08. I rushed to the CD sales tent, only to discover that I had missed the rush and every copy of Slania had been sold in 30 minutes. Inis Mona is the definite highlight of this folk juggernaut.

Ghost Brigade - Isolation Songs I originally found out about Ghost Brigade from Last.fm, recommended due to my constant playing of Dark Tranquillity and Insomnium. I'm glad the recommendation engine worked this time! Possibly the most depressing death metal band I've ever heard. Highlights include Into The Black Light and Lost In A Loop.


I was also graciously allowed 5 "honourable mentions" for those albums that I love, but didn't make the top 10. To be honest this was harder to come up with than the first 10. There are so many albums I love  that narrowing it down proved difficult.

One in particular that gets regular plays is Skyforger by Amorphis. A random purchase at HMV led me to discover Amorphis, a sort of hybrid of melodic death and folk that's both heavy as a heavy thing and melodic as an, um, melodic ... thing. Aerolithe by Fall Of The Leafe (which led to the coining of the term "fotling", meaning "listening to Fall Of The Leafe") is another that I throw on a lot when I fancy something a bit more utterly nonsensical.

Perhaps a controversial choice because it is the least metal of anything I've put so far, but How To Measure A Planet by The Gathering is a long standing repeat listen. A fine work among a body of fine works. More recently, and definitely less controversially, is Woods of Ypres's final album Woods 5: Grey Skies And Electric Lights. Sure, it's depressing, but it's frankness and honesty elevates it from pointless morbidity into something far deeper and more philosophical.

And finally I can't forget to mention Monuments by Sheffield's own Northern Oak, the album I've seen played (in parts, at least) more than any other. If I fancy listening to it, I could put on the MP3s, or I could just pop to a local gig to enjoy it with an ale or five. 

Dark Tranquillity - In My Absence Video

Hot off the proverbial press, Dark Tranquillity continue letting guitarist Niklas Sundin take charge of video production with this rather nifty video for In My Absence from 2010's We Are The Void. This is one of my favourite songs off the album, so it's cool to revisit it 2 years on and see the band performing it live. Something I've not had the pleasure of since they haven't graced our fair shores for a fair while.

Shot entirely by the band themselves during a live performance in Russia with cameras attached to everything from guitars to audience members, this is an interesting twist on the usual basic performance video. The cool effects put in here and there to emphasise the song's lyrics are a neat touch, too. A bit of a change from the rather triptastic Iridium video I posted about a while back, mind!

Dark Tranquillity - Iridium video released

Over a year after the album's initial release, Dark Tranquillity have released a video for Iridium, a particularly creepy and somewhat disquieting track from We Are The Void. It was created by guitarist Niklas Sundin and has a rather interesting animation style. It's like a cross between paper cutouts and a Flash video.

The first half of the video is fitting to the song, and I especially like the beginning of the chorus. The ending seems to lose its way a little, presenting us with a bunch of spirograph swirliness and owls, but on the whole, nicely done.

Doozr's Top 10 of 2010

It's December again, and so it must be nearly time for yet another best-of list. I already made a list of my top 5 from the first half of the year back in July. Do my decisions still stand? Has enough awesome music been released lately to knock some of those five off the list?

While I chose my top five, I also included five that didn't quite make the grade. These were fine albums, but fell by the wayside to make way for the top five. Since making that list, my horizons have broadened, my collection has grown and my ears have been treated to a vast array of new musical morsels.

Picking the top ten has been tricky. I've had to base my decisions on initial impact, longevity and how much I just randomly decide to play it. So without further ado, in no particular order, here is my top 10 of 2010.

Crystalic - Persistence

What to say that I haven't already said? This album was released for free due to lack of label interest, which is a travesty because it's awesome.

Ghost Brigade - Isolation Songs

A Last.fm recommendation come good. Death metal with a hint of black metal who happen to also be great live.

The Hoosiers - The Illusion Of Safety

It's cheesy, it's retro, it's silly and it's good. Enough said.

Pain Of Salvation - Road Salt One

Sometimes I listen to an album, and it's good. Sometimes, it's amazing. And just sometimes an album comes along that completely takes me by surprise at it's sheer brilliance. Road Salt One is one such album.

Dark Tranquillity - We Are The Void

One of the first albums I got in 2010, and still one of the best. Loved it from the very first time I saw the teaser video for Shadow In Our Blood.

Volbeat - Beyond Heaven / Above Hell

Part rock 'n' roll, part metal, part blues and part country. Quite a mix, but brilliant.

Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here

A wistful, contemplative, yet cheerful melancholy. The sort you might feel on a quiet summer's eve when the world is at peace, and everything, just for that moment, is okay.

Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra

A magnificent conglomeration of orchestra and black metal. Think Lord Of The Rings crossed with the more classically inspired bits of Nightwish. An album that is both exciting and satisfying to listen to.

Agalloch - Marrow Of The Spirit

An album rich with images of life and light being torn down by the heavy, unbearable weight of the physical and metaphorical winter. Dreamy, sombre black/folk metal at its best.

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

A great third album, all the better having seen it played live. Nostalgia and melancholy about the ways and whys of childhood, growing up in a rapidly changing world.

Sadly not all the great albums from 2010 can go into the top 10. Well, unless there were only 10 of them. But there aren't. There are loads. Here are some of the runners up.

Northern Oak - Monuments Finely crafted folk/black metal from Sheffield's finest purveyors of black metal and waistcoats. (review coming soon)

The Birthday Massacre - Pins & Needles Great dark synth-rock and an obsession with purple bunnies. (review)

Mostly Autumn - Go Well, Diamond Heart The first album with their new lead vocalist, and a good start it is, too. (review)

Martriden - Encounter The Monolith An album that has got me through many a torturous train journey. Just great music. (review)

Disturbed - Asylum Loud and brash American heavy metal. (review)

Dream Theater - Octavarium Twiddly, complicated and totally prog.

Engines Of Armageddon - Self-titled A hella-tight Thrash/Power/Doom/Groove METAL BAND from Nottingham UK.

Courteeners - Falcon A bit of chavvy pop. A guilty pleasure. (review)

65DaysOfStatic - We Were Exploding Anyway An altogether more dance oriented album from the band who brought you the soundtrack to the end of the world. (review)

Tarot - Gravity Of Light It's metal. It's heavy. It's got Marco Hietala in it. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT? (review)

Doozr's Half-Time Review

It's been a busy old year, musically speaking. 24 album purchases in 6 months, of which 14 were released in 2010. And of course, there are numerous artists and albums that I've heard but not bought. With this wealth of new musical greatness, I thought I'd break from tradition and produce my personal "best of" list for the first half of 2010 rather than waiting until New Year. So without further ado, here are my top 5 albums of 2010, part 1.

Dark Tranquillity - We Are The Void

I think this one goes without saying. My review of the album has been criticised for being less of a review, and more an outpouring of praise for this amazing album. I plead guilty, your honour.

65DaysOfStatic - We Were Exploding Anyway

One to work to. Whether writing code, mowing the lawn or writing blog posts, this post-rock/dance infusion is both motivating and enthusing. It's a fair departure from previous albums, but all the better for it.

Tarot - Gravity Of Light

This is my new driving album. Doesn't matter where I'm going or what sort of traffic I'm stuck in, this album makes it all the more bearable. Wind down the windows, turn up the volume, and use the steering wheel as your drum kit.

Martriden - Encounter The Monolith

Surprise of the year comes from Martriden. I first heard about this album on Invisible Oranges, and bought it on a whim. It's brilliant, and definitely one to put on headphones and listen to properly. Like so many death/black metal albums, the joy is in the subtle details that you might miss if you just had it on as background noise.

Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here

A latecomer, having only been released very recently, but instantly a "best of" candidate. I've lost track of how many times I've listened to this album, and when I do it feels so very familiar. It's like I've never not known it.

Of course, lists should always be 10 items long. I've only listed my "top five" so that, come Christmas, I'll have a "top ten". But just in case the second half of the year fails to live up to the promise of the first, here are five honourable mentions.

Ghost Brigade - Isolation Songs

I picked this one up from Amazon's MP3 shop after spotting them in my last.fm recommendations. A bit more commercial than the likes of Dark Tranquillity, and with a vocal leaning toward Black Metal, but still some brilliant tracks.

Dream Theater - Octavarium

Prog rock meets heavy metal. It's heavy, it's twiddly, it's definitely prog. This is what you'd hear if Montgomery Hall in Wath held 10,000 people.

The Engines Of Armageddon - Self Titled

Probably the best stoner-thrash-prog-doom-groove metal band in the world.

Avenged Sevenfold - Self Titled

Another one of those random Twitter followers that I thought I'd check out. Ostensibly metal-core, but with heavy metal, hard rock and many other influences. This album changes genre faster than I change underpants. A bit thrash, a bit heavy, a bit stoner, and just a bit good.

The Courteeners - Falcon

What's this? Not metal? Well no. I do like a fair old variety of music, and that does include a bit of radio friendly indie. I surprised myself by liking them so much, but like them I do and this is a bloody good album. A guilty pleasure indeed.

We Are The Void

Creepy. If there's one word to describe Dark Tranquillity's latest album, it has to be "creepy". From the eerie tones of Shadow In Our Blood to the disturbing lyrics of Her Silent Language, this album with send shivers down your spine and make your heart skip with excited trepidation. It is, quite frankly, brilliant.

As with many DT albums, it took a couple of listens to really take hold. Best done in isolation with a decent set of headphones and no lights. Having said that, I have been listening to Shadow In Our Blood, the opening track, since the video was released a couple of weeks before the album launch and was immediately hooked. My pre-ordered special edition arrived a couple of days before the official release date, and since then it's rapidly shot up the ranks of my personal "best of DT" list.

The guitarwork is, as usual, brilliant. It's no exaggeration to say they have the best riffs in metal, and Mikael Stanne uses clean and cookie monster vocal to great effect throughout. The drums, too, are a something to behold. Driving the melody with heavy bass and changing signatures to reinforce the mood of the album.

Watch out toward the end of In My Absence. Around the 4 minute mark. Are you listening? Did it make your fingers go numb and your heart jump into your throat? That's the quality of this album. Genuine emotional response. Genuine reaction to the music.

We Are The Void has taken it's rightful place in DT history. It is a superb accomplishment and, dare I say it, maybe rivalling Fiction and even Projector for the crown of best DT album ever.

If you haven't heard it, get it. If you have, appreciate the artistry, the emotion and the sheer musical talent of Dark Tranquillity. It's worth it.

We Are The Void streamable now

Dark Tranquillity have made their upcoming album We Are The Void available in full on their MySpace page for a limited time only. If you just can't wait one more week to hear what's in store, head over there.

If you want to pre-order the CD, HMV are doing the CD+DVD digipak edition for a mere £8.99 including postage. There are rumours that some people have received their copies early. Hope I'm one of the lucky ones.

Dark Tranquillity - Shadow In Our Blood Video

In preparation for the March 1st release of We Are The Void, the 9th album from Swedish death metallers Dark Tranquillity, a video of Shadow In Our Blood has been released for your (and my) watching and listening pleasure. Containing perhaps the creepiest chorus riff in any DT song ever, coupled with quite a creepy visual, it's further proof that they are perhaps the finest death metal band on the planet. It just gets better every time I watch.