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Dark Tranquillity Album: “Gallery [Japan Bonus Track]”
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Gallery [Japan Bonus Track] |
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Release Date:1998-12-16
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Type:Unknown
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Genre:Metal
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Label:Osmose
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Explicit Lyrics:Yes
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UPC:4988061887692
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Review - :
1995 was certainly a definitive year for Swedish {\death metal}. {$At the Gates}' {^Slaughter of the Soul} and {$In Flames}' {^The Jester Race} were released that year, both albums seamlessly meshing the melodic ambition of old-schoolers {$Iron Maiden} and {$Judas Priest} with the aggression of '90s {\death metal}; boasting instrumental chops and gifted songwriting, those two bands helped define the face of {\Scandinavian metal} for years to come. But one must not overlook {$Dark Tranquillity}'s contributions to the genre, specifically {^The Gallery}, which may not be rightfully recognized as the bona fide classic that it is. While these Swedes' debut, {^Skydancer}, was an ambitious and disjointed affair exhibiting more promise than solid tunes, sophomore platter {^The Gallery} fulfilled that promise -- and then some. Gone were {$Anders Fridén}'s awkward growls and the stiff production and arrangements, replaced by the confident mid-range rasp of {$Mikael Stanne} and the much-hailed engineering expertise of {$Fredrik Nordström} and {@Studio Fredman}. The busy, melodic guitar work of {$Niklas Sundin} and {$Fredrik Johansson} is still prevalent, but rhythmically {^The Gallery} is an entirely different beast, the songs given breathing room by the bass and drums which hold down the fort while {$Sundin} and {$Johansson} unleash a frenzy of complex riffs and tasteful, controlled histrionics. The cuts {&"The Dividing Line,"} {&"The Emptiness from Which I Fed,"} and {&"Midway Through Infinity"} are near-perfect examples of the melody/aggression dynamic exhibited by the myriad of acts making up the {\Scandinavian metal} sound, replete with sudden, but not needlessly indulgent shifts in tempo and mood. However, {$Dark Tranquillity}'s ornate, pseudo-{\gothic} song structures and fanciful lyrics give the band an intellectual quality -- most prevalent during the title track, where {$Stanne}'s well-timed and gritty vocal is carefully balanced by melodic female singing and abstract, poetic lyrics. This sets the band apart from {$At the Gates}' raw assault and battery and {$In Flames}' major-key flights of fancy. {^The Gallery} is a transcendent work from one of the underdogs of the genre -- a bona fide masterpiece that helped further stretch the boundaries of {\death metal} in the '90s. [This Japanese release includes one bonus track.] ~ John Serba, All Music Guide
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