Projector (Dark Tranquillity album)

Untitled

Projector is the fourth full-length studio album by the melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity. It is also the first album after Martin Henriksson's move from bass to guitar; replacing Fredrik Johansson after his departure, and the first with new members Michael Nicklasson and Martin Brändström; on bass and keyboards respectively. However, the album was still recorded with the old lineup (Henriksson at bass, Johansson at guitar); the change in lineup happened between the recording and release of the album. It marked a departure for the band renowned as one of the founders of the Gothenburg Sound. Eschewing much of their trademark dual-guitar passages and death growling, Dark Tranquillity's Projector album featured some piano and clean guitar parts akin to that of traditional metal. The album was also the first to include vocalist Mikael Stanne on clean vocals; Stanne delivered some of the lyrics in an operatic baritone, far removed from his typical metal growls.

Because of its massive deviation from the band's previous efforts, Projector was met with mixed opinions by fans. The clean vocal style was almost entirely discarded after this album, although the keyboards and pianos would become an integral part of the band's present sound. Stanne has brought his clean vocals back into some of Dark Tranquillity songs, though, as heard on Dark Tranquillity's 2007 album Fiction.

The limited edition digipak includes the bonus track "Exposure". However, there were problems with the pressings because not all the digipaks include "Exposure" and there are some traditional releases that include the track. The Japanese version of the album has different cover art and includes a booklet with more photos and biographical information. Also, the Korean label Dope Music's digipak of the album was released in 2004 and includes "Undo Control (Live)" as a bonus track. It was recorded in Poland in 2002.

Track listing

1. "FreeCard" – 4:31
2. "ThereIn" – 5:55
3. "UnDo Control" – 5:10
4. "Auctioned" – 6:06
5. "To a Bitter Halt" – 4:48
6. "The Sun Fired Blanks" – 4:17
7. "Nether Novas" – 6:14
8. "Day to End" – 3:08
9. "Dobermann" – 4:38
10. "On Your Time" – 5:37

Limited Edition

11. "Exposure" − 3:52

Korean Bonus

11. "Undo Control (Live)" - 3:49

2009 Re-Release

11. "Asleep In The Bandaged Light" [previously unreleased] - 3:20
12. "No One" - 4:41
13. "Exposure" - 3:52
14. "ThereIn" [live/previously unreleased] - 6:11

Release history

Date	Note
September-December 1998
June 21, 1999
August 10, 1999
November 25, 1999
May 25, 2009	Reissue

Credits

Musicians

• Mikael Stanne − vocals
• Niklas Sundin − guitars
• Martin Henriksson − guitars (credited as guitarist, played bass on the album)
• Michael Nicklasson − bass guitar (credited but does not play on the album)
• Anders Jivarp − drums
• Martin Brändström - keyboards (credited but does not play on the album)
• Fredrik Johansson - guitars (uncredited)
• Johanna Andersson - female vocals on "UnDo Control"

Album production

• Johan Carlberg − photography
• Dark Tranquillity − arranger
• Niklas Sundin − layout design, cover art, image editing