Dark Tranquillity - Iconic Melodic Death Metal Band

It is not a secret that I do enjoy me some melodic death metal when my mood is right. That’s why I’ve already written about two of my favorite bands in this genre – In Flames and Before The Dawn. Today I want to share one more amazing band with you, it is called Dark Tranquillity.

Many metal fans make a case for Dark Tranquility to be the best MDM group ever. And I won’t argue with them, because these guys are a truly iconic. In the end it all comes down to personal preferences.

But I have been following DT for many years now. If you like heavy music and want to learn more about melodic death metal you should definitely check them out.

Dark Tranquillity Bio

Mikael Stanne carried by crowd while singing Misery's Crown in 2017 — Mikael Stanne crowdsurfing at Summer Breeze Festival (2017)

Dark Tranquillity was formed in 1989 in Gothenburg, Sweden. They released their debut album, “Skydancer,” in 1993. They’ve put out several successful albums, including “The Gallery” (1995), “Damage Done” (2002), “Character” (2005), “Construct” (2013), “Atoma” (2016). Their 13th album “Endtime Signals” is planned for 2024 release.

Dark Tranquillity has had a few lineup changes over the years, but the band still has some long-standing members. Mikael Stanne now the lead vocalist initially was a rhythm guitarist before taking over vocals in 1994. Martin Brändström joined as the keyboardist in 1999.

For the latest news about the band you can always check their official website.

Music Style of Dark Tranquillity

Dark Tranquillity has heavy guitar riffs mixed with beautiful melodic harmonies. You can also hear great atmospheric keyboards on some of the songs. It’s quite a layers and complex signature sound that won them numerous fans over the years.

Their music is also defined by a combination of harsh growling vocals and clean singing by Mikael Stanne. It’s interesting to see the band’s progressions as Mikael’s singing was changing.

If you checked my articles covering In Flames and Before the Down, you already know that those band also have vocalist who combine growling with clean vocals. This is an integral part of their exceptional melodic metal style.

Interesting Facts About Dark Tranquillity

DT helped shape the melodic death metal genre as it is. They were originally called “Septic Broiler” before changing their name to Dark Tranquillity in 1991.

Another interesting fact is that In Flames and Dark Tranquillity essentially swapped vocalists. Mikael Stanne, the current lead vocalist of Dark Tranquillity, initially provided guest vocals on In Flames’ debut album “Lunar Strain” ( 1994). Around the same time Anders Fridén, who would later become the lead vocalist of In Flames, was the original vocalist for Dark Tranquillity. Talk about fate!

Dark Tranquillity Best Songs

With over 10 albums the band has a lot of great songs. The fact that most of them belong in the same music genre makes it even better. It also makes it harder to choose the best ones. But these are the greatest hits in my playlist.

TOP Songs by Dark Tranquillity: