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Dark Tranquillity
Dark Tranquillity playing live at Summer Breeze Open Air 2007, with former bassist Michael Niklasson on the left and the singer Mikael Stanne on the right
Background information
Origin	Billdal, Sweden
Genres	Melodic death metal Progressive metal
Years active	1989–present
Labels	Century Media, Osmose, Spinefarm
Associated acts	In Flames, HammerFall, All Ends, Soilwork, Dimension Zero, Theatre of Tragedy
Website	www.darktranquillity.com
Members
Mikael Stanne Niklas Sundin Martin Henriksson Anders Jivarp Martin Brändström Daniel Antonsson
Former members
Anders Fridén Fredrik Johansson Mikael Niklasson

Dark Tranquillity is a melodic death metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. They are the longest-standing band from the original Gothenburg metal scene, and are one of the most integral pioneers of the melodic death metal genre of music.

Background

Skydancer (1989–1994)

Dark Tranquillity was formed in 1989 by vocalist and guitarist Mikael Stanne & guitarist Niklas Sundin, who looked at their influences and then decided to form their own band under the name Septic Broiler.^[1] Not long after, three additional members, Anders Fridén, Anders Jivarp and Martin Henriksson, joined the line-up.

In 1990, the band recorded a demo cassette tape entitled Enfeebled Earth before they would change their name to Dark Tranquillity and change their musical style. It was followed by multiple demos, and in 1993, Skydancer was released. Soon after, Anders Fridén, Dark Tranquillity's main vocalist at the time, left the band and later joined In Flames. Co-founder, guitarist, and back-up vocalist, Mikael Stanne, then became the lead vocalist, and Fredrik Johansson was recruited to take over rhythm guitar duties.

The Gallery and The Mind's I (1995–1998)

In 1995, Dark Tranquillity released The Gallery, considered a landmark album in melodic death metal, saw the band tightening their production details to a great extent, and showed that the new line-up was an essential change that furthered the band as a whole. Containing many of the first elements of modern metal genres seen today, The Gallery featured traits such as growled and screeched vocals, abstract and melodic riffing, abrupt changes in tempo, and blast beats. The album was later to be called a major influence by bands such as Killswitch Engage and The Black Dahlia Murder.

In 1997, The Mind's I was released, which saw a slight change in sound that reflected Dark Tranquillity's previous releases, Skydancer and The Gallery. The album again featured characteristics essential in the band's melodic death metal sound, such as growled vocals, abstract riffing, acoustic passages, and a female guest vocalist.

Projector and Haven (1999-2001)

In 1999, Projector, later nominated for a Swedish Grammy Award, became the fourth output from the band, and saw a major change in songwriting. While retaining growled vocals and their signature death metal sound, pianos, baritone soft vocals, and verse-chorus fashion song structures were now integral parts of Dark Tranquillity's sound, reflecting the band's goal to strive for different musical expressions. This album caused major controversy in Japan, Who refused to release Haven after seeing projector as a style of music that had no place in their country. This stance was changed when word of Haven's success reached Japan, and haven was released later that year

A year later saw the release of Haven, which introduced the addition of electric keyboard sounds, but also saw the abandonment of the newly adopted clean vocal stylings in favor of a overall heavier sound. By this time, Martin Brändström had joined for keyboard duties, and Michael Nicklasson had replaced Martin Henriksson on bass, with Henriksson becoming the band's second guitarist.

Damage Done and Character (2002–2006)

Dark Tranquillity released Damage Done in 2002, and was intended to be a step in a much heavier direction, adding thicker guitar distortion, deep atmospheric keyboards, and abandoning soft vocals altogether. They released the music video for the single 'Monochromatic Stains', followed by their release of "Live Damage", their first live DVD.^[2]

Character was the seventh release from Dark Tranquillity, released in 2005, and was held in much critical praise. It featured the third music video released by Dark Tranquillity, with the successful single Lost To Apathy.

Fiction and We Are The Void (2007–2010)

In 2007, Fiction was released, which in turn, saw a return of Mikeal Stanne's clean vocals, and the first female guest vocalist since Projector. The album also saw writing style that combined the stylings of Projector and Haven, with the more aggressive traits of Character and Damage Done. At this time, Dark Tranquillity toured with The Haunted, Into Eternity, and Scar Symmetry for the North America Metal For The Masses Tour.^[3] They returned to the U.S. during the Spring of 2008 with Arch Enemy. They have also toured the UK in early 2008 along with Omnium Gatherum. On October 26, 2009 they released a DVD eniteled Where Death Is Most Alive. On October 30, 2009 at the release party of the DVD 333 copies were given away for free of the rare live album The Dying Fragments. On the band's official website they announced that bass guitarist Mikael Niklasson left the band in August 2008 due to personal reasons with no hard feelings between him and the band. On September 19, the band found a new bassist in Dimension Zero guitarist Daniel Antonsson, who also was a guitarist for Soilwork. May 25, 2009, saw reissues of Projector, Haven, and Damage Done.

In October 2009, Dark Tranquillity finished work on their 9th studio album, We Are The Void, scheduled for release on March 1, 2010 in Europe and March 2, 2010, in the USA.^[4]. On December 21, 2009, Dark Tranquillity released the song "Dream Oblivion"^[5] and on January 14, 2010, they released the song "At The Point Of Ignition"^[6] from their new album We Are The Void exclusively on their MySpace page. They are also the opening act for a U.S winter tour headlined by Killswitch Engage and featuring The Devil Wears Prada.

Dark Tranquillity has confirmed they will be joining up on the Death Is Most Alive II European Tour.^[7] Dark Tranquillity has also confirmed to join other metal bands in Gothenburg, Sweden on June 18–19 for the Metaltown Festival for 2010.^[8]

Members

Throughout their 20 years active Dark Tranquillity have had only three line-up changes, and four of the original members are still in the band today: vocalist Mikael Stanne, guitarist Niklas Sundin, guitarist-bassist Martin Henriksson,and drummer Anders Jivarp.

Current members

Former members

Session members

• Robin Engström – drums (tour 2001)

Guest musicians

• Anna-Kajsa Avehall (Skydancer)
• Eva-Marie Larsson (The Gallery)
• Sara Svensson (The Mind's I)
• Johanna Andersson (Projector)
• Nell Sigland (Fiction)

Discography

Studio albums

EPs, MCDs and singles

• Of Chaos and Eternal Night (MCD, 1995, Spinefarm)
• Enter Suicidal Angels (MCD, 1996, Osmose)
• Lost to Apathy (EP, 2004, Century Media)
• Focus Shift (single, 2007, Century Media)
• Where Death Is Most Alive (EP, 2009, Century Media)

Other albums

• Skydancer/Of Chaos and Eternal Night (reissue, 2000)
• Exposures - In Retrospect and Denial (compilation, 2004, Century Media)
• Manifesto of Dark Tranquillity (compilation, 2009, Century Media)
• Yesterworlds (compilation, 2009, Century Media)
• Where Death Is Most Alive (live album, 2009. Century Media)
• The Dying Fragments (live album, 2009. Century Media)

DVDs and videos

• Zodijackyl Light (VHS, 1996, Osmose Productions)
• World Domination (VHS, 1998, Osmose Productions)
• Live Damage (DVD, 2003, Century Media)
• Where Death Is Most Alive (DVD, 2009, Century Media)

Demos

• Enfeebled Earth (1989, released under the name Septic Broiler)
• Trail of Life Decayed (1991), (1992, re-release, Guttural Records)
• A Moonclad Reflection (1992, Slaughter/Exhumed Records)
• Tranquillity (1993, cassette compilation containing Trail of Life Decayed and A Moonclad Reflection, Carnage Records)

References

External links

• Official website
• Offcial MySpace Page
• Dark Tranquillity at Chronicles of Chaos
• In depth interview with Mikael Stanne
• Right To Be Different - Interview with Mikael Stanne Moscow December 18, 2009