Dark Tranquillity & Equilibrium

DEATH...IS JUST THE BEGINNING Hard to believe, Dark Tranquillity, one of the originators of the ‘Gothenburg Sound’ (aka The New Wave of Swedish Death Metal), are 27 years old this year. Over the course of 11 full-lengths, two of which, 1999’s grand vision Projector and 2007’s furious fan-favorite Fiction, were nominated for Swedish Grammy Awards and countless worldwide tours, the Swedes have persevered through thick and thin. This endurance is powered by Dark Tranquillity’s insatiable hunger to constantly and consistently reinvent, to confront stagnation, even when all signs point to staying put and relying ona successful formula. From the day lauded debut, Skydancer, hit store shelves in summer 1993 to the shock and awe of Projector’s unorthodoxy to 2002’s stupendous Damage Done to the urban noir of 2013’s killer Construct effort, the Swedes, now men, whose perspective is now of wisdom and contemplation, continue to unflinchingly challenge the unknown. That new album, Atoma, marks the group’s silver anniversary couldn’t be more perfect. "When we first started putting together the band in late 1989 I was 15,” remembers vocalist Mikael Stanne. "The band has been the main focus in my life before I was an adult. So, naturally this is morethan just second nature. It’s a huge part of who we are and as much as you sometimes try go get away from categorizing yourself of putting yourself in a certain spot it is still definitely there. I am absolutely fine with growing old as a band and as a person. So many cool things have happened because of the band, but also so many other things totally unrelated and in a way these things inform each other and bleed over. I wouldn’t change a thing.” Neither would guitarist Niklas Sundin, who along with Stanne and drummer Anders Jivarp, round out Dark Tranquillity’s original core. Together, they’ve seen and done it all. From the poetic lyrics of The Gallery and The Mind’s I to the genre-breaking sonic explorations of Haven and its more aggressive relative in Character, the group’s ventures were of vision and courage. To Dark Tranquillity, limitation, to creatively fester, wasn’t an option. They were always willing—with eyes and ears on continuity—to move forward, even in times uncertain and impetuous. Atoma, an album three years in the making, is proof there’s still more depth in Dark Tranquillity. "I think it goes beyond fear,” Stanne gasps. "You go through all kinds of emotions going into something like this. Where do we go? Do we still have something to offer and say? Can we maintain the high quality we’ve set for ourselves? All these things play into our insecurities, but as you slowly move towards the finish line that very thing turns into great triumph and relief. It’s so easy to second guess yourself and go back and forth between ideas until you eventually lose sight of what you were