There’s no disguising my love of Paradise Lost’s Draconian Times album, being privy to its creation and touring throughout Europe with the band in support of said platter. There are moments within the eleven latest offerings from Sweden’s Dark Tranquillity that recall the Brits’ masterpiece (actually there are 4 non-album tracks floating around: a pair on the bonus edition, one exclusive to I-Tunes and of course, the ubiquitous Japanese-only inclusion). It’s probably down to the depressive (relationship lyrics) heaviness, the use of growls and clean vocals, accented by wayward tinkling of the ivories (although singer Mikael Stanne certainly could pass for back-in-the-day Nick Holmes). Oh, and there’s that strong sense of melody running through everything too! As always, the Dark ones play around with dynamic changes, as in the whispered/clean voice on ‘The Grandest Accusation’, which sits atop piano, and alternates with Stanne’s predominate gruff approach. Speaking of piano, it’s featured in ‘The Fatalist’, despite the sneering vocal delivery. Guitars ablaze on the speedy ‘In My Absence’ and ‘At The Point Of Ignition’, but the album’s more about atmospheric, mid-paced numbers than rapidity. That said, the grandiose, swirling, gremlin throated ‘Arkhangelsk’ wouldn’t be out of place on a Dimmu Borgir disc. As with Haven, many of these tracks are short, seven of the eleven clock in under four minutes. As in the past, the final track (‘Iridium’) is the lengthiest eclipsing six minutes with its Phillip Glass inspired, lone keyboard note fadeout.
