Dark Tranquillity is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Gothenburg. They are considered one of the pioneering acts of the Gothenburg metal scene, which also includes bands such as In Flames and At the Gates. Dark Tranquillity is regarded as the Gothenburg fathers in the film entitled Out of Nothing: A DT Documentary released by Century Media, which was filmed in their home town in April 2009.
Background
Early years and Skydancer (1989–1993) Dark Tranquillity was formed in 1989 by current vocalist and then-guitarist Mikael Stanne, and guitarist Niklas Sundin, under the name Septic Broiler. Three additional members, Anders Fridén, Anders Jivarp and Martin Henriksson, later joined the line-up.
In 1990, the band recorded a demo entitled Enfeebled Earth, which featured a largely thrash metal-influenced style of death metal, comparable to early Death. After releasing another demo entitled Rehearsal December 1990, the band changed its name to Dark Tranquillity, and released multiple demos, including Trail of Life Decayed in 1991 and A Moonclad Reflection in 1992, which both showed a progression into the more melodic nuances of death metal that the band would explore on their later studio releases.
In August 1993, the band released their debut album Skydancer. Soon after, vocalist Anders Fridén left the band and joined fellow Gothenburg band, In Flames. Guitarist Mikael Stanne then assumed the position of lead vocalist, and Fredrik Johansson was recruited to take over guitar duties.
The Gallery and Of Chaos and Eternal Night (1994–1995) In 1994, Dark Tranquillity covered the song "My Friend of Misery" for the Metallica tribute album Metal Militia − A Tribute to Metallica.
In 1995, the band released an EP, Of Chaos and Eternal Night, which was later followed by the release of their second studio album, The Gallery. The Gallery has been referred to as a masterpiece from the era.
The Mind's I (1996–1998) Dark Tranquillity released their second EP, Enter Suicidal Angels, in November 1996. Their third album, The Mind's I, was released in April 1997, with the band continuing further with the sound conveyed on The Gallery.
Projector, lineup changes and a different sound (1999)
In January 1999, Fredrik Johansson and the band parted ways. Johansson's desire to focus on fatherhood and hold a day job, rather than dealing with the uncertainties of the music industry was incompatible with the band's need for a reliable guitarist. With that position now vacant, bassist Martin Henriksson, who was a little reluctant to do so, took over duties as guitarist, and the band brought in Michael Niklasson on bass. Projector saw the introduction of a lot of piano, keyboard, and electronic parts into Dark Tranquillity's sound, so the band also added another member, Martin Brändström, on keyboards. With this new lineup, the band played live bonus tracks of the reissue of this album and filmed a music video for "ThereIn".
Projector was released in June 1999, and was later nominated for a Swedish Grammy Award. The album saw a major change in songwriting: while retaining growled vocals and their signature death metal sound, the band added pianos, baritone soft vocals, and verse-chorus fashion to their sound, reflecting the band's goal to strive for different musical expressions. Around the same time, Skydancer and Of Chaos and Eternal Night were reissued together as Skydancer/Of Chaos and Eternal Night.
Haven (2000) A year later saw the release of Haven, which featured prominent electronics in comparison to previous releases. Like its predecessor, Haven was also received in a generally mixed manner by fans and critics alike.
As the band toured in 2001, the band hired Robin Engström to play live, due to Jivarp's commitments as a new father.
Damage Done and Exposures − In Retrospect and Denial (2001–2004) Dark Tranquillity released Damage Done in 2002, was a return to 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. In 2004, their compilation album Exposures – In Retrospect and Denial, featuring one disc with rare and unreleased tracks and another with live tracks, was released.
Character (2005) Character was the seventh release from Dark Tranquillity, released in 2005, and was held in much critical praise. It featured the fourth music video released by Dark Tranquillity, with the successful single "Lost to Apathy". After releasing the album, the band played live in Canada for the first time.
Fiction (2006–2009)