Dark Tranquillity at the Grove of Anaheim Jan. 26; Photo By: Daniel Falk
Dark Tranquillity, emerging from the Gothenburg metal scene, is taking on the Grove of Anaheim on Jan. 26. Traveling with a 25-year back story, the band has engrossed audiences from Europe to the U.S. with the raw aggression of death metal matched with the melodic riffs in each song.
The melodic death metal group features members Mikael Stanne (vocals), Niklas Sundin (guitar), Martin Henriksson (guitar), Anders Jivarp (drums) and Martin Brändström (keyboard and programming). With the ability to capture the metal sound of any era, Dark Tranquillity has become timeless.
While on their Insomnium tour, they took a moment to speak with the OC Concert Guide.
OCCG: What’s the story behind Dark Tranquillity’s creation? What was the defining moment that made you start the band?
NS: Our story is pretty much the usual one: Five teenagers heavily into music that arrived to the conclusion that they must form a band of their own. I guess that the odd thing in our case was that no-one actually could play an instrument when we started out. We basically decided to form a band and then went out and bought instruments the next week. Needless to say, it took a while to get things sounding well.
OCCG: What’s the meaning behind the band name?
NS: It’s taken from one of our first songs, “Void of Tranquillity”. In retrospect, it’s not the best monicker since it tends to confuse people “dark what?!?” and also is spelled differently in US and British English.
OCCG: How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened?
NS: Back in the day, this could be a bit tricky. The explanation would differ a lot depending on the person’s musical knowledge in general. “Metal” could mean anything from Bon Jovi to Slayer depending on who you talk to. These days, I just refer people to check the music out online since it’s much easier. Most people probably ask out of politeness than from actual interest anyway.
OCCG: What are you most looking forward to in the Insomnium tour?
NS: A lot of great shows and the chance to catch up with old friends on the road.
OCCG: Since your creation in 1989, what is the most memorable show you’ve played?
NS: Hard to tell. The first time doing something is usually the most memorable, so I would have to say that the very first gig in a small club in Sweden had the most impact. After that, the first show abroad and the first big festival gig are milestones. And of course getting to tour internationally opened up for a ton of new experiences. In recent times, being main support to Iron Maiden in Norway was truly amazing.
OCCG: How does playing in North America differ from playing in Europe?
NS: It’s a bit different, but not that much. Metalheads tend to be similar all over the globe. On the plus side, you meet a lot of very devoted people in North America. They travel for many hours to catch a show and they take great pride in going that extra mile. In Europe (and of course I’m generalizing wildly here), people can be a bit spoiled. If it takes you 30 minutes of travel to get to a venue, you stay at home instead. On the negative side, a lot of North American clubs have pretty substandard sound/light equipment compared to back home, which of course is a shame for the fans.
OCCG: Which venue do you feel fits the bands performance the best?
NS: I think that the diversity makes it worthwhile. A large festival show with a big stage production and all the bells and whistles is great in its own way, but sometimes it’s very liberating to play the small punk rock-ish gigs with no extras and close contact with the audience. Both settings have their pros and cons.
OCCG: Aside from music, what do you guys enjoy doing?
NS: Music is our main focus, and it’s hard to find time for much else. I work as a graphic designer and animator on the side, but this lifestyle doesn’t really leave much room for hobbies.
OCCG: Anything you’d like to add?
NS: Thanks for the interview!