Construct (album)

Last updated

[T]he stuff that angers me the most[, which is] the narrow-mindedness and biased will to not see things as they are...I wish we could be more honest with ourselves and see things more clearly and be more rational...Over the years I've gotten more upset about this and that got me thinking about what motivates and drives us to believe the things we believe. The big theme is the ultimate construct of religion and faith. The title is Construct in a most negative way: this shield or excuse we have to do the things we do. [6]

In another interview, Stanne said "I want people to be sceptical and be able to think for themselves. The herd type of behaviour of many I find quite disturbing...I like people to be pure and unbiased and free any preconceptions when they encounter other people. The utter ignorance and bigotry of some people really gets to me". [8]

Niklas Sundin elaborated that "Our brains have evolved to find patterns and connections where there are none, but – as they say – extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. I rarely want to talk about non-musical stuff in interviews, but as a science buff and skeptic I have to take the opportunity to recommend every UFO or conspiracy theorist to read Carl Sagan's The Demon Haunted World". [9]

Songwriting

The songwriting process departed from Dark Tranquillity's typical method. Henriksson reduced his role in arranging the songs, while keyboardist Martin Brandstrom, guitarist Niklas Sundin, and drummer Anders Jivarp served as the principal songwriting team. Stanne commented about this method:

[It] was totally different from what we normally do...It was an experiment at first, but then it turned into this really creative thing. We were all really excited. We could talk and be more objective about the songs and what they needed and what the album should be like. It was so liberating. Finally, we could make music and not argue about it too much. It was a very positive experience. [3]

Stanne attributed the album's sharp departure from previous albums to the band's struggle with "writer's block" and the alternate songwriting configuration that eventually enabled the band to create the new album: "The material we had was pretty emotional. It was written during this period where we were struggling...Most of the material was emotional and sad and heavy. That's what the album became. The stuff we wrote during our darkest period was put together in the most creative way we had done in many years." [3] Their previous album, We Are the Void had not been as positively received as their previous albums, and the group had experienced troubles in the creation of the album, such as in-fighting. [8]

The band commented on the style of the album, saying, "While still bearing the unmistakable mark of the Dark Tranquillity, the record is probably our most different and diverse offering since 1999's Projector ". [10] Mikael Stanne described the album as being both "melody driven" and a "reaction" to the band's recent work. [6]

Chad Bowar of About.com noted "the darkness and sadness in the composition of many of the songs", which he attributed to the more collaborative songwriting approach. [5] However, Sundin stated in an interview that "Most likely, the upcoming 500 years will be a patchwork of great tragedy and suffering as well as major advance and improvement, just like the past 500 years have been. But metal lyrics are often about polarizing. You don’t sing about being mildly skeptical of a certain amount of people behaving in a slightly disagreeable way and that you would prefer if they please could consider changing their behavior. You sing about throwing the whole of humanity in a sea of fire and brimstone and laughing while doing it". [9]

Reception

Construct
DT-Construct2013.jpg
Studio album by
Dark Tranquillity
Released27 May 2013
RecordedFebruary 2013 [1]
Genre
Length42:21
Label Century Media
Producer Jens Bogren, Dark Tranquillity
Dark Tranquillity chronology
We Are the Void
(2010)		Construct
(2013)		 Atoma
(2016)
Alternative cover
DT-Construct-US-Edition.jpg
US edition
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Decibel Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Sputnikmusic3.6/5 [4]

Describing the band as "legendary", Chad Bowar of About.com remarked, "it's no surprise that Dark Tranquillity has delivered another quality album with Construct. It's one of their most creative and diverse releases in quite a few years." [5] James Christopher Monger of Allmusic noted that the album pulled back on the intensity in favour of an approach that "retains the chilly elegance of the band's best work while dialing back on the more punishing aspects, resulting in an expansive, world-weary, and windswept racket". [11]

Kyle Ward of Sputnikmusic compared Construct with the band's 1999 album Projector, due to the character of the experimentation, and praised the album's atmosphere as "the most palpable and poignant of their entire discography, due in large part to its focus on dark, melodramatic tones in the synths and the swift, tight melodies that make up the guitar leads". [4]

On 15 June 2013 the album entered the US Billboard 200 chart at number 171. [13]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Mikael Stanne.

Standard edition
No.TitleMusicLength
1."For Broken Words"Anders Jivarp, Martin Brändström4:34
2."The Science of Noise"Jivarp, Brändström, Martin Henriksson 3:45
3."Uniformity"Jivarp, Brändström, Niklas Sundin 5:30
4."The Silence in Between"Jivarp, Henriksson, Brändström3:32
5."Apathetic"Sundin3:29
6."What Only You Know"Brändström4:01
7."Endtime Hearts"Sundin3:58
8."State of Trust"Brändström4:06
9."Weight of the End"Jivarp, Brändström, Sundin4:55
10."None Becoming"Brändström4:31
Total length:42:21
Limited edition and US edition bonus tracks
No.TitleMusicLength
11."Immemorial"Jivarp, Brändström, Sundin5:04
12."Photon Dreams" (Instrumental)Brändström, Sundin2:03
Total length:49:28
Japan bonus tracks
No.TitleNoteLength
11."Immemorial" 5:04
12."Photon Dreams" Note 1 2:03
13."To Where Fires Cannot Feed" Note 2 3:52
14."The Bow and the Arrow" Note 2 3:55
15."Zero Distance" Note 3 4:30
16."Zero Distance *" Note 4 4:02
Total length:63:07
Deluxe edition bonus disc
No.TitleLength
1."The Treason Wall" (Live in Milan 2008)3:53
2."The New Build" (Live in Milan 2008)4:28
3."Focus Shift" (Live in Milan 2008)3:59
4."The Lesser Faith" (Live in Milan 2008)4:48
5."The Wonders at Your Feet" (Live in Milan 2008)4:25
6."Lost to Apathy" (Live in Milan 2008)4:54
7."Misery's Crown" (Live in Milan 2008)4:34
8."ThereIn" (Live in Milan 2008)6:23
9."My Negation" (Live in Milan 2008)6:08
10."The Mundane and the Magic" (Live in Milan 2008)5:53
11."Final Resistance" (Live in Milan 2008)3:49
12."Terminus (Where Death Is Most Alive)" (Live in Milan 2008)6:05
13."Dream Oblivion" (Live at With Full Force 2010)4:17
14."Iridium" (Live at Summerbreeze 2010)5:19
Total length:65:57

Notes

  1. ^Note 1 That song is an instrumental.
  2. ^Note 2 That song is from the We Are the Void reissue.
  3. ^Note 3 That song is from the We Are the Void reissue and the Zero Distance EP.
  4. ^Note 4 That song is a Radio Edit version of its original song.

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dark Tranquillity</span> Swedish melodic death metal band

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.

<i>Damage Done</i> 2002 studio album by Dark Tranquillity

Damage Done is the sixth studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity. Here, the band returns to a more classic style while holding the changes made in their albums Haven and Projector, especially in the keyboards, but this is the first record since The Mind's I that does not feature clean vocals. Martin Henriksson started doing some "lead guitar riffs" on the record, so the band showed influences from The Gallery in the duality of lead guitars. Mikael Stanne said that the lyrics on this album are about the frailty of life.

<i>Haven</i> (Dark Tranquillity album) 2000 studio album by Dark Tranquillity

Haven is the fifth studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity, released on 25 July 2000. This release is the first recorded as a six-piece, the first to feature Mikael Niklasson and Martin Brändström, and the first release with Martin Henriksson on guitar, switching from his previous position on bass.

<i>Exposures – In Retrospect and Denial</i> 2004 compilation album by Dark Tranquillity

Exposures – In Retrospect and Denial is the first compilation album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity, that was released in 2004.

<i>Lost to Apathy</i> 2004 EP by Dark Tranquillity

Lost to Apathy is the fifth EP by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity. It was released on 15 November 2004 through Century Media Records. All songs were recorded from the Character album, except the live version of "Undo Control" which is from the previously released Live Damage DVD. The album also includes the video for "Lost to Apathy", produced by Roger Johansson and a Dark Tranquillity screensaver.

<i>The Gallery</i> (album) 1995 studio album by Dark Tranquillity

The Gallery is the second studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity, released on 27 November 1995 by Osmose. It was the first full-length release to feature Mikael Stanne on vocals, as he was previously the rhythm guitarist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikael Stanne</span> Swedish metal vocalist

Bengt Mikael Stanne is a Swedish musician, best known as the vocalist and a former rhythm guitarist for the melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity. Since the departure of original drummer Anders Jivarp in 2021, Stanne is the only remaining original member of the band. Stanne is also the vocalist for bands Grand Cadaver and The Halo Effect, which formed in 2020 and 2021 respectively. He was also an ex-vocalist for HammerFall and In Flames.

<i>Character</i> (Dark Tranquillity album) 2005 studio album by Dark Tranquillity

Character is the seventh studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity. The album was first released on 24 January 2005 through Century Media Records. The corresponding single, "Lost to Apathy", was previously featured on the Lost to Apathy EP, their first EP released in nearly ten years.

<i>Skydancer</i> (Dark Tranquillity album) 1993 studio album by Dark Tranquillity

Skydancer is the debut studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity. This release was the last recorded output to feature vocalist Anders Fridén, later of In Flames, who was fired and replaced by then rhythm guitarist, Mikael Stanne. Incidentally, Mikael Stanne was the lead vocalist on the first In Flames studio album, Lunar Strain.

<i>Of Chaos and Eternal Night</i> 1995 EP by Dark Tranquillity

Of Chaos and Eternal Night is the third EP by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity. It includes a re-mixed version of the Skydancer track; "Alone", with Mikael Stanne's vocals instead of Anders Fridén's. The EP was reissued as Skydancer/Of Chaos and Eternal Night. Fredrik Nordström contributes keyboards on the EP as well as producing it.

<i>Enter Suicidal Angels</i> 1996 EP by Dark Tranquillity

Enter Suicidal Angels is the fourth EP by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity. It was recorded during the sessions for The Mind's I and it was also released as bonus tracks of the reissue of The Mind's I. Another reissue of the EP was released in October 2010 as a Gramophone record. In terms of the standard issue of this album, this is the only Dark Tranquillity release that Martin Henriksson does not have a writing credit. The song "Zodijackyl Light" was also included on The Mind's I. The song "Archetype" is in the vein of industrial and techno.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niklas Sundin</span> Swedish guitarist

Niklas Sundin is a Swedish musician, best known as a founding member and former lead guitarist of the melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity from 1989–2020. In 2019, he founded his own band called Mitochondrial Sun, which has released two full-length studio albums to date. He was also one of the guitarists in Laethora from 2005–2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Henriksson</span> Musical artist

Hans Martin Knut Henriksson is a former Swedish musician best known for his work with melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity and was one of the original members, and the main songwriter for the band until he left them in 2016.

<i>Fiction</i> (Dark Tranquillity album) 2007 studio album by Dark Tranquillity

Fiction is the eighth studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity. It was released by Napalm Records on 19 April 2007, and by Century Media in the UK on 23 April, and in the US on 24 April.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Antonsson</span> Musical artist

Daniel Antonsson is a musician and songwriter from Gothenburg, Sweden, formerly playing guitar in Dimension Zero. He is also the former bassist for Dark Tranquillity, playing on the album We Are the Void, and former guitarist for Soilwork, recording with them on their album Sworn to a Great Divide. He uses Esp Nv-std guitar and Mayones Guitars & Basses.

Fredrik Johansson was a Swedish guitarist.

<i>We Are the Void</i> Album by Dark Tranquillity

We Are the Void is the ninth studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity. It is their first and only album with bassist Daniel Antonsson, who joined in 2008 and left in 2013.

<i>Atoma</i> (album) 2016 studio album by Dark Tranquillity

Atoma is the eleventh studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity. It was released on 4 November 2016 through Century Media Records. Atoma is the band's first studio album with bassist Anders Iwers, who replaced founding member Martin Henriksson, after Henriksson left the band in early 2016 due to loss of passion for playing music. Atoma is the last release to feature founding lead guitarist Niklas Sundin, who would depart from the band in March 2020.

<i>Moment</i> (Dark Tranquillity album) 2020 studio album by Dark Tranquillity

Moment is the twelfth studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity, being released on 20 November 2020 via Century Media Records. The album is the band's first to include guitarist Johan Reinholdz, the final with founding drummer Anders Jivarp and bassist Anders Iwers, who left the band in August 2021, and the only with guitarist Christopher Amott before his departure in July 2023. It is also the first release since We Are The Void (2010) to be recorded as a six-piece.

References

  1. ↑ "Dark Tranquillity Completes Recording New Album". Blabbermouth.net . 27 February 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  2. ↑ DARK TRANQUILLITY - Uniformity (OFFICIAL VIDEO) on YouTube
  3. 1 2 3 4 Bowar, Chad (26 May 2013). "Dark Tranquillity Interview A Conversation With Vocalist Mikael Stanne". About.com . Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 Ward, Kyle (22 May 2013). "Album Review - Dark Tranquillity: Construct". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Bowar, Chad. "Dark Tranquillity - Construct Review". About.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 Arthur, Ty (29 April 2013). "Dark Tranquillity's Mikael Stanne Discusses New Album "Construct"". Metal Underground. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  7. ↑ "Dark Tranquillity - A Memory Construct - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". metal-archives.com. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  8. 1 2 "The Science of Noise – An Interview with Dark Tranquillity". Ghost Cult. 23 May 2013.
  9. 1 2 "Interview: Dark Tranquility explain the blueprints of 'Construct' and the possibility of alien life". Archived from the original on 15 January 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2014.{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  10. ↑ "Dark Tranquillity: 'Construct' Album Details Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. 27 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  11. 1 2 Monger, James Christopher. Construct at AllMusic. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  12. ↑ Dick, Chris (June 2013). "Dark Tranquillity, Construct". Decibel Magazine . No. 104. p. 88.
  13. ↑ "Billboard 200". Billboard . 15 June 2016. p. 8.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.