Dark Tranquillity Atoma, ltd.ed.

2016, As with Dark Tranquillity albums starting with CHARACTER, much of ATOMA was recorded at Brändström's studio, Rogue Music. There, the group settled into the normal process of cutting an album, something they've done with varying degrees of pain and suffering since 1993. But what separates the new album from previous efforts is the lack of big, sticker-on-album-sleeve names. Though Dark Tranquillity did enlist Studio Gröndahl's David Castillo (Katatonia, Soilwork) to mix the record, ATOMA, by contrast, was mostly done close to the vest. With a new album, a new lineup, and a refreshed outlook, Dark Tranquillity are stronger now than they were six months ago; they're a better band than they were 10 years ago; and the Swedes are far more resilient now than they were as wide-eyed teenagers. ATOMA is the start of a new chapter. It represents new life. With tracks like ,,Forward Momentum", ,,Force Of Hand", ,,Our Proof Of Life", and the riveting title cut, there's no stopping Dark Tranquillity in 2016.