Moment

スウェーデンのデスメタル王者=Dark Tranquillity(ダーク・トランキュリティ) メロディック・デスメタルの重鎮が放つ攻撃性に満ちた4年ぶり12枚目となるオリジナル・アルバム『Moment』

スウェーデンのデスメタル王者、ダーク・トランキュリティの4年ぶり12枚目となる新作が到着! 1989年のメロディック・デスメタル黎明期にスウェーデン結成され、このジャンルを確立した最重要バンドの一つ。メランコリックな曲調と突き刺さるデスヴォイスが特徴。また時折みせるクリーン・ヴォイスも楽曲に非常に良いアクセントを与えている。これまでに来日公演も多数。単独公演の他、LOUD PARKやチルドレン・オブ・ボトムとのジョイントツアーでも来日している。
結成以来、メロディックでアグレッシヴなサウンドをミュージック・シーンに浸透させてきた彼らだが、新作『モーメント』において彼らはその知的でメロディックな攻めの形のみならず、完全に活力を取り戻し、結成31年目を受けて立つ準備万端な姿を再認識させてくれる。

Melodic death metal pioneers Dark Tranquillity, part of Gothenburg, Swedens unholy trinity with In Flames and At the Gates, are the only one of those bands able to maintain anything like an original sonic identity, despite personnel changes and the evolution of recording technology. Moment is Dark Tranquillitys 12th studio album. Though its cover bears another stunning Niklas Sundin design, it is the bands first outing without him as lead guitarist. He has been replaced by veterans Johan Reinholdz (Nonexist, Andromeda) and Christopher Amott (Arch Enemy, Armageddon). The set was produced by keyboardist Martin Brandstrom, mixed by David Castillo and Jens Bogren, and mastered by the latter. Also compelling is the bands sense of economy here. Though 50-minutes long, none of the sets 12 tracks reaches the five-minute mark. The new guitar firepower propels the albums earliest tracks such as opener Phantom Days with its processional meld of melodic death and black metal tropes (albeit with layered keyboard arpeggios from Brandstrom). Identical to None is a sprint with vaguely blackened thrash resulting in plenty of six-string crunch and burn with kinetic solos. The gears shift on The Dark Unbroken. Frontman Mikael Stanne moves between his signature dirty vocals and clean, mournful ones, and momentarily sounds like Katatonias Jonas Renkse. Melody is more pronounced as keyboards and guitar entwine in the bridge. Remain in the Unknown weds sweeping death metal, gothic atmospherics, and progressive layers of keyboards and chord changes in a darkly majestic anthem. The albums second half reveals more of the newcomers influence on songwriting and arrangement. A Drawn Out Exit offers unexpectedly progressive time signatures and stop-and-start vamps as melo-death and technical death metal collide. The charging Eyes of the World not only paints one of the most imaginatively aggressive backdrops in Dark Tranquillitys catalog, but it also contains one of the bands strongest choruses to date, balancing raw growls with catchy yet sorrowful clean singing. Failstate’s careening, synth-drenched intro and refrain juxtaposes prog metal with overdriven, chugging death metal guitars and drums in a primal attack. Empires of Lost Time is schizophrenic, wedding progressive melodies and cadence shifts to sinister vocals, power metal riffs, and unhinged tempos. With the exception of distorted guitars, the intensely elegiac closer In Truth Divided barely registers as metal. Redolent with a truckload of gated keyboards and guided by a processional tom-tom, Stannes anguished clean vocals hover above cascading dynamics with funereal grief and resolve. While Moment bears a sonic imprint easily recognizable as Dark Tranquillitys, its songwriting, arranging, production, and performances are rife with fresh inspiration and creativity. ~ Thom Jurek

メロデスの重鎮による12枚目のアルバムは、クリストファー・アモット(ギター)とヨハン・レインホルツ(ギター) の正式加入が見事にハマッている。2本のギターが流麗に絡み合い、メロディアスな側面に磨きをかけたアレンジには知的な雰囲気さえ漂う。基本はミッドテンポ主体の楽曲が並ぶものの、内側を掘り下げたエモーションの激しさと美しさに背筋がゾクゾクしてしまう。ヴェテランの凄味が感じられる奥深い一枚だ。
bounce (C)荒金良介