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Dark Tranquillity - Damage Done review




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Reviewer:
9.0

1146 users:
8.83
Band: Dark Tranquillity
Album: Damage Done
Release date: August 2002


01. Final Resistance
02. Hours Passed In Exile
03. Monochromatic Stains
04. Single Part Of Two
05. The Treason Wall
06. Format C: For Cortex
07. Damage Done
08. Cathode Ray Sunshine
09. The Enemy
10. I, Deception
11. White Noise / Black Silence
12. Ex Nihilo
13. The Poison Well [Japanese bonus]
14. Static [bonus]

Sweden's Dark Tranquillity may have been a half step behind some of the other leaders in the Gothenburg melodic death metal movement (In Flames and The Crown come to mind), but with "Damage Done", Dark Tranquillity are going not only going to get the praise they deserve, but be a hard act to follow in the process.

Their last release, 2000's "Haven" raised a few eyebrows from long-term fans, and while it was a great album from the band, it tended to be a little more on the experimental side of things. "Damage Done" seems to revert back to the aggressive sounds of previous albums, yet pushes them beyond anything they've done before.

'Final Resistance' opens with a deceptive melodic riff, before turning into a full on assault attack of the senses. Vocalist Mikael Stanne seethes anger and hate, while retaining the essential melody that binds the band as one. 'Hours Passed In Exile' has some majestic melodic twin guitar work (Courtesy of Niklas Sundin and Martin Henriksson), while 'Monochromatic Stains' (The first promotional video from the album) returns the aggression. Both 'Single Part Of Two' and 'The Treason Wall' lean heavily on the keyboard sounds, but are counter balanced with the heavy guitars, and riffs most bands would envy. One of the catchier tunes is the unusually titled 'Format C: For Cortex', and has a passing resemblance to Iron Maiden in parts. The title track 'Damage Done' passes with intensity, but 'Cathode Ray Sunshine' is certainly highlighted by its experimentation of subtle keyboards and guitar tones. The experimentation is taken one step further with the brilliant 'The Enemy'. This is defiantly one of the albums many highlights.'?White Noise/Black Silence' again pushes the manic fury, only to dilute itself with the sweeping instrumental 'Ex Nihilo'.

The Gothenburg scene may well be seen as death metals bastard child, but there's a lot to be said about the movement when something as special as "Damage Done" is conceived.

Written by Justin | 11.09.2003




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.

Staff review by
Dream Taster
Rating:
9.0
Ladies and gentlemen, Dark Tranquillity is proud to introduce their latest bombshell and you better give it a listen! In the typical current trend to make the now famous Gothenburg sound progress, "Damage Done" is the cornerstone of the arising splendid edifice. The band of Niklas Sundin and Mikael Stanne is still on top of everybody else in terms of creating headbanging riffs and memorable anthems and this album is an endowment to every metal freak on Earth.

Read more ››
published 11.08.2004 | Comments (3)


Comments

Comments: 17   Visited by: 162 users
23.07.2006 - 11:40
Rating: 9
dark awakening

I totally agree
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Baptized in a lake of acid tears...
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25.07.2006 - 18:41
Rating: 10
Fane

Good review! Hail to Dark Tranqillity!
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Coffee for power
Music for creativity
Sarcasm for fun
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28.07.2006 - 02:16
Taktsekte
Your Ad Here!
Good review and perfect album. I have not yet listened to a better Melodeath album than Damage Done or to a better Melodeath song than Monochromatic Stains. I would give a 9.75 to this album.
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10.03.2007 - 23:47
Bitch Boy

I liked the way you described the escence of the album. For me they're the masters of Gothenburg metal.
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01.07.2007 - 10:00
Rating: 10
Grey_Dandelion

An album that is hard to stop listening to...i think is more than perfect!And the keyboards is just astonishing how well collide with the guitars creating an atmosphere that surrounds you and doesnt let you go-i believe that this is what metal is about....a travel to different music dimensions...and dark tranq are the gate to it
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Don't turn away just take my hand and when you make your final stand i ll be right there i ll never leave all i ask of you is believe...
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05.04.2008 - 02:19
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
that's almost the best Dark Tranquillity album, loses very closely to Haven and the rare and unreleased songs from ''Exposures''. The best song is ''format c:'' to me.
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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05.04.2008 - 11:20
Rating: 10
BloodTears
ANA-thema
Ok, its a great album but I don't love it, especially if I have in mind what they did next
Its full of great songs, so melodic and well written. I also think that with Damage Done their creativity level really went up and it was non-stop from there. They were very creative before but not like this or after this, with the exception of "The Gallery" I should say.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29

Like you could kiss my ass.


My Instagram
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05.04.2008 - 13:24
Rating: 9
Warman
Erotic Stains
My favourite DT album along with Haven. This is how Gothenburg Metal should sound!
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14.11.2008 - 15:24
Rating: 9
Harlequin

I, Deception is such a mindblowing song. An awesome album!
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00:40 - Doomface
Mikael Akerfeldt doesn't age like humans do.
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09.05.2009 - 23:42
Rating: 10
Deadmeat
Necrobutcher
Nice review for an amazing album!!!!!
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Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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26.05.2009 - 00:48
Rating: 8
Haddonfield
Chucky's Bride
Their best album to date without a shadow of a doubt, just love the melody of the Treson Wall chorus riff.
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"Seasons don't fear the reaper. Nor do the wind, the sun and the rain (we can be like they are)."
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18.08.2009 - 15:30
Rating: 10
Solstafir!

This is the album that really got me into DT...from start to finish it is just EXPLOSIVE..."Final Resistance", "Monochromatic Stains" and "Cathode Ray Sunshine" are some of my favourite songs of all time, period.

AWESOME ALBUM! One of the greatest and my most favourite of the awesomeness that is DARK TRANQUILLITY!
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27.01.2010 - 19:35
Rating: 8
The Chinigan

Great album, favourite song is probably Format C: For Cortex but all the songs are awesome
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24.01.2011 - 21:15
serega25

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01.06.2011 - 06:56
m3ta1he4d

I love Cathode Ray Sunshine.. \,,/
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01.06.2011 - 09:41
Rating: 10
beyondtehdarksun

Agree... CRS is one of their best songs to me. Of course they don't play it live, would be too great
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"We are blind to the world within us, waiting to be born"
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03.10.2019 - 17:28
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Bands in opening list changed, I dont follow them, but this did as well, even somehow its better as other ones
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Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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