Review by Michael on January 17, 2002.

If there were ever a band that could evoke ‘the feeling’ faster than Dark Tranquillity I am yet to find them. Every aspect of their writing style is exactly what the listener wants to hear… natural chord progressions, effortless drums and some of the most beautiful keyboards your likely to find. Coupled with some nasty death-like growls just to give it the harder edge that we all can appreciate so much, this band are certainly something special.

Dark Tranquillity are a very technical band, but not in the way most people use the word technical. As opposed to fast riffing and complex time signatures, the most common aspects of metal associated with technicality… Dark Tranquillity’s technical prowess comes into play with the arrangements and production of the songs. The attention to detail is phenomenal. There is not a single note or sound out of place on the entire CD, with everything perfectly arranged and sitting beautifully in the mix. Studio Fredman come through yet again.

The songs themselves are brilliant, a little repetitive at times… but all are equally as well constructed and smooth in their delivery. The multitude of sound effects and brilliant keyboard patches used throughout the recording add an amazing dark yet peaceful ambience and mood to the songs, having a massive impact on the listener.

Bottom Line: All in all this is a brilliant CD. Possibly some of the most beautiful and relaxing metal to come out in a long time…

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 10
Production: 10
Originality: 7
Overall: 9

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by JD on March 16, 2012.

Gotta say, this Finnish band is a real odd one... sort of strange even. I have never came across something like this except on Spinefarm Records releases. In reading the bio and everything, it just got weirder and then I listened to them. Gimme a beer... this is going to a very odd ride.

Sounding like a odd spawn of Rammstein, a third rate Frank Zappa with a fuzzed out slower and Industrialized Death Metal style with the song ideas of 80's one hit wonder Techno-pop star Thomas Dolby.... you get The Physicists. These crazed musicians that are probably rejects of the tv show The Big Bang Theory, playing fuzzed out wannabe-and-never be Metal - and not seeing the true reality. With techno keyboard drivel and lacking any real musicality... it is a album made for forgetting.

With ten songs on the cd, it is ten too many. With only a small fraction of something that could even remotely seen as being metal, it plods on with lack luster rhythms and annoying almost child-like keyboards through out with raspy vocals that are sort of like Skinny Puppy but with even less talent than that band. Every once in a while, there is a flash of metal, then it is gone... like if metal was like the Bigfoot.

If you like stuff like Rammstein, this one might be for you but if you want metal, this is not the thing to hear. With a name like The Physicists you think they were smart enough to see what metal was, and their talent is not metal, but perhaps mopping the floor in a rehearsal studio after the real band had used the space, or reaching a ‘Special Ed’ version of Science.

Guess this band’s collective IQ’s are in reality smaller than their shoe sizes, if the believe the are playing metal.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 2
Atmosphere: 1
Production: 3
Originality: 2
Overall: 1.5

Rating: 1.9 out of 10