Dark Tranquillity – “Therein”
From the album: Projector

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Why this song doesn’t suck:
When most metal fans hear the term “Gothenberg Metal”, coined after the Swedish city where the subgenre originated, Dark Tranquillity is usually near the top of the list of bands that are brought to mind. Since 1993 and continuing even today, Dark Tranquillity has been leading the pack when it comes to the distinctive Gothenberg sound. From using more melodic guitar riffs and solos to more diverse and varied song structures, the bands of Gothenberg, Sweden laid the groundwork for the melodic death metal genre as it’s known today. Along with At the Gates and In Flames (before their music turned to pure, unfiltered shit once the 21st century hit), Dark Tranquillity are the pioneers of what is probably my favorite genre of all of music, and their 1999 album, Projector, shows just why that is.

While being their fourth studio album, it was the first (and still one of the very few) to feature singer Mikael Stanne’s unique, baritone voice with a clean vocal delivery. A lot of fans absolutely hate hearing any kind of clean vocals in their metal, but I honestly like it… as long as it’s done right. Take for example In Flames’ Anders Fridén’s clean vocals. They suck. HARD. Mikael on the other hand has a style that fits the music quite well… it has a very haunting quality that adds a lot to the song’s atmosphere.

Additionally, Projector had a significantly different sound than Dark Tranquillity’s older work. More melodic and catchy guitar work that remained heavy as all hell, the welcome addition of the clean vocal work, and holy hell! Is that piano and female vocals? I absolutely love this album, and I think “Therein” does a damn good job of summing up what Dark Tranquillity has to offer. Take a listen.

Official Website: www.darktranquillity.com