Dark Tranquillity - Fiction review
| Band: | Dark Tranquillity |
| Album: | Fiction |
| Style: | Gothenburg metal |
| Release date: | April 2007 |
Disc I
01. Nothing To No One
02. The Lesser Faith
03. Terminus (Where Death Is Most Alive)
04. Blind At Heart
05. Icipher
06. Inside The Particle Storm
07. Empty Me
08. Misery's Crown
09. Focus Shift
10. The Mundane And The Magic [feat. Nell Sigland]
11. A Closer End [Japanese bonus]
12. Winter Triangle [Australian bonus]
13. Below The Radiance [expanded edition bonus]
14. Silence In The House Of Tongues [instrumental version] [expanded edition bonus]
15. Terminus (Where Death Is Most Alive) [Live at Summer Breeze 2007] [expanded edition bonus]
16. The Lesser Faith [Live at Summer Breeze 2007] [expanded edition bonus]
Limited Edition Special Features:
+ The New Build [video]
+ Focus Shift [video]
+ Focus Shift [Live in rehearsal room]
+ Wallpapers, AIM buddy icons
Disc II [Expanded Edition bonus DVD]
01. Focus Shift [video]
02. Terminus (Where Death Is Most Alive) (brick-movie) [video]
03. Focus Shift [Live in rehearsal room]
04. Blind At Heart [Live at Bang Your Head Festival 2007]
05. Final Resistance [Live at Bang Your Head Festival 2007]
06. Misery's Crown [Live at Bang Your Head Festival 2007]
07. Terminus (Where Death Is Most Alive) [Live at Summer Breeze 2007]
08. The Lesser Faith [Live at Summer Breeze 2007]
09. The New Build [Live at Summer Breeze 2007]
10. The Endless Feed [Live at Summer Breeze 2007]
Ever since 2002's "Damage Done", the pioneers of the Gothenburg sound [alongside fellow musicians from In Flames] have mastered their newer sound with "Character" [2005] and now "Fiction" [2007]. In a way, their newest release can be considered as the twin album of "Character". The same formula was once again brought into daylight, resulting to a great album but with as many surprises as a Manowar album.
The band once more relied heavily on Martin Brändström keyboards ability to boost every track. By now, Dark Tranquillity does not need any further praise, as everybody knows what these guys are about. This is simultaneously their strength and their weakness. An element of novelty would have been welcome even though I totally dig this album. Okay, the last song ("The Mundane and the Magic") is a step towards something different. I'll grant you that. Flawless production is another trait of the Swedish band, and once again that's what you get with "Fiction".
As expected, Dark Tranquillity released another imposing album of polished newer Gothenburg Metal. Problem is, even though it is still working somehow, there is a lack of progression in their last two albums that might start to bore the heck out of some people. Not counting the nostalgic listeners who wish the band would take a step back towards their "The Gallery" era sound (Sorry but ain't gonna happen!). Regardless, "Fiction" will be amongst the best releases of the year.
Highlights: 'The Lesser Faith', 'Icipher' and 'The Mundane and the Magic'
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 10 |
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Written on 15.07.2007 by
Bringing you reviews of quality music and interesting questions such as: "A picture is worth a thousand words. How many words is a song worth?" I have only got so much patience and skills, you do the math. |
Comments
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Comments: 35
Visited by: 321 users
| Torelli Posts: 1280  |
I couldn't agree more! For me, it was a very boring album but get I can't see any flaws in it. I quess this band need a little more progression if they want to keep the fans intrested. Best song is without a doubt "The mundane and the Magic".
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| X-FrEaK Posts: 281  |
agree 100%, its a very interesting album like a good Dark Tranquillity album can be, nevertheless it looks like they used leftovers from Character..i hope they make some changes for the next album favorite music: Inside the Particle Storm
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| HELLilac Posts: 46  |
Very good review. I think this album is flawless but not outstanding. As much as I can not find fault with any of their later albums including this one, I'm too hoping for more aggression and freshness of their earlier releases. Still, the band deserve 2 thumps up from me for staying true to their root and being so consistent. They've never released a bad album and never been taken over by the temptation of US market like their fellow Gothenburg pioneer name In Flames.
---- AS SOON AS YOU'RE BORN, YOU'RE DYING..
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| Metal Maiden Megadead Posts: 352  |
I don't think "Fiction" sounds like "Character", quite the opposite - I find it totally different, and in a good way too...I absolutely adore this album, it's my favourite release from 2007 so far, and "Inside The Particle Storm" has to be one of my fav DT songs ever!!!And I agree with HELLiac - DT deserve respect for still being one of the few bands, which remained true to their Gothenburg sound, unlike posers like In Flames and Soilwork...They have NEVER released a weak album (nor a weak song btw, the only track of theirs i don't like is an instrumental, called "Archetype", and it's actually techno) and have NEVER dissapointed their fans (or me atleast  )!!!
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| Passenger Lost To Apathy Posts: 1464  |
DT has got to be one of the most consistent Metal bands ever. Fiction is brilliant, once again, it sure will be featured in my top10 of this year.
---- You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets. You do it at home. The rest is bullshit and you know it ~ Mean Streets
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| Talvi Posts: 825  |
One of their best, probably second to Gallery
---- My account on other musical pages: http://www.last.fm/user/Pozito/ http://rateyourmusic.com/~Talvi
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| Fhuesc Posts: 1328  |
For me, this album is the best in 2007 so far, and i think that isnt a copy of Character, i think that this album its an improvement of Character
---- Hasta la victoria, siempre! Until victory, always!
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| Jason W. Razorbliss Staff Posts: 3523  |
Well you're right in that it's a great disc... but unfortunately this CD has had little if any staying power in my mind, as I also feel it's deeply similar to Character. I miss the experimentation this band was doing in their Projector era, because I found much more depth in that period. I think the production is good, but there are much better produced / sounding albums out there this year, so that's what would make my rating lower, alongside of the originally being nonexistent (this CD is downright predictable IMO). Well written review, D.T. 
---- "After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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| Darkside Momo Retired Elite Posts: 9087  |
Another good album by Dark Tranquillity (but did they ever release a bad one?). But I don't think it's their best, even if there are really good songs (particularly The Lesser Faith and Inside The Particle Storm), because don't evolve that much now... At least this means that they stay at their very high level, but... And about comparing Character and Fiction, I'd say that Character is more complex, while fiction is more catchy. But the main difference for me is that Character is much more emotional...
---- My Author's Blog (in French)  "You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you" "I've lost too many years now I'm stealing back my soul I am awake"
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| tulkas el parcero Posts: 4742  |
this is one of the albums i'm begging to regret i didn't buy on my trip to canada. i had it in my hand but then i put it back and bought instead amon amarth's 'with oden on our side' (which i don't regret at all!!) anyway, i guess i'll look it up here and buy it if i can
---- love is like a jar of shit with a strawberry on top
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| Danny Thomas Posts: 552  |
Written by Metal Maiden on 15.07.2007 at 21:18 i was thinking the same thing (i listen to dark tranquillity every day, they are probably my favorite band.) fiction has an entirely different feel than character. i love it though, not as much as character, but its still amazing.
---- Our children are dead. Burnt in the ruins that were left by war.
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| Infurnace Posts: 948  |
DT has never disappointed me. Not with an single album, and once again, they released another masterpiece. "Fiction" is one of their best albums. I really enjoy the new, modern Dark Tranquillity sound.
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| Desecrator Posts: 25  |
I think Fiction is what you would get if you combined all of the Dark Tranquillity albums together, which is a difficult statement to put forward given that every one of their albums (with the exception of this one) have each sounded different from one another. I do love this album though, some of their best work. Favourite track - 'Misery's Crown'
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| Bleeding_Rainbow Posts: 42  |
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| Abattoir Staff Posts: 3630  |
I think that this is very good album...it sounds great. Maybe they should change something in their music, but for me if they will continue like this it will be just fine...
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| Reizenstein Posts: 59  |
As this is the first Dark Tranquility album I've ever listened to, I can say that this album is nothing but a masterpiece. The great melodies, vocals and drumming makes this a beutiful release, and I'm planning to buy some of the older albums as well.
---- Growl
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Elite Posts: 11835  |
I like Fiction, it is a good album. But I wanted to see more from them somehow. I guess I was looking for something a bit different. The formula seems to be used excessively to the point that some of the songs are very alike in their guitar riffs and that doesnt make me want to listen to the album again. "the lesser faith" is my favourite track.
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| Jeeers Posts: 195  |
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| -DC-002- Mastercommander Posts: 1703  |
I love this album without any bias. I thought it was kinda boring the first listen but after the second it was an instant classic for me.
---- Coldgrits
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Elite Posts: 11835 |
Written by BloodTears on 13.08.2007 at 13:25 You are silly. This album is great and you love it. Too bad you only realised that quite recently.
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| Darkmember Posts: 46  |
absolutely album of the year
---- The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents.
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| cruel pain carpathian flame Posts: 29 |
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| Ernis 狼獾 Posts: 6807  |
I like the strong melodies of this album...it has been very well done....
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| BloodEagle Account deleted |
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| Taktsekte Your Ad Here! Posts: 2808  |
Congratulations for yet another MS Award. My favourite song from this album is The Mundane and the Magic, yet, as BloodEagle said, the whole album is a masterpiece. There is not a single filler, not a single flaw throughout Fiction! The best album of 2007 overall, without a doubt.
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| Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437  |
Surely this is the best release by DT! This album is a complete masterpiece. Great melodies, nice riffs, fast songs (we had many years to hear blast beats), feeling songs, great hits, new growling style by Stanne. This is a great work! 10!
---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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| ms68 Posts: 260  |
Dark tranquillity is my favorite band but IMO this album is little boring and has not similarity to quite aggresive album like charecter. but in this album terminus, icipher, The Mundane And The Magic are something different.
---- The more you eat, the more you shit No matter what you eat, it all turns to shit
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