64. Dark Tranquility - 'Moment'

Dark Tranquillity, the Gothenburg melodic death pioneers that aren’t At the Gates or In Flames. Actually, that is really rather tough on Dark Tranquillity as there is far more to them than being the “Return of the Jedi” of Metal’s most important trilogy. While In Flames metamorphization from (melodic) Death Metal to alt-metal has been well documented, Dark Tranquillity shift over the years towards a much more Gothic/Doom tinged melodramatic sound has gone very much under the radar. “Moment” is excellent! It is grand in both scope and scale. Yes, there is a lot of atmospheric swirls to be found, but this is not an insular or introspective record. It is big and bold and expansive as the mix of harsh and clean vocals is exquisitely done. This is written on the back of one run through. If they deemed to release the album earlier in the year, I am sure it would be higher, a lot higher.