So how would Dark Tranquility’s Damage Done have sounded if produced less cleanly, sung with a more vicious and multi-faceted voice and played with an abundance of renewed energy? Well, the first track of Idolator provides you with the answer. Fast and agitated melodic death metal with electronic samples and keys, overdriven maidenesque guitars and sporadic clean vocals. I like these guys already after the first song. The freshness and sheer pleasure of these Japanese metallers is felt at the surface of their easy digestible compositions, which are right away attractive and demand for another spin when ended. The solos are well chosen and perfectly timed, and the dancehall samples – that more than often seem to be ripped directly from the latest hellraiser opus – are certainly a bit of a novelty. Obviously this act runs the risk being guilty of having written just another collection of nice tunes that in the end won’t stand a chance to make it through the decennium.

This apparent danger is only strengthened by the fact that the screamed, howled and clean vocals lack any profound emotion that is usually necessary to keep falling back on music through the years. Additionally, just that bit more diversity would have given the album more staying power. But apart from these realizations, I am in sheer joy when ‘Embrace Me’ starts with a friendly piano that is aggressively engulfed a few seconds afterwards when the boisterous riffs get loose. In ‘Trial Spiral’ they manage to come up with a real original lead that I haven’t heard the (in)famous exponents of the Göteborg ruling class accomplish for quite some time. And on and on little surprises follow each other up quite rapidly. For now this gets a wholehearted recommendation, but mind you that this kind of metal is usually subject a high degree of corrosion.