The high intensity of the music on _Construct_ is continuously matched by the vocals. Mikael Stanne's commanding screams come fully supported by guitars flinging their melodies all over the place, while Anders Jivarp continues to push himself forward and improve his drumming performance. The Niklas Sundin / Martin Henriksson guitar partnership also plays a massive role in constructing _Construct_ and making it the solid album that it is. As the album rolls on, amazing melodies like that pre-chorus on "Uniformity" and "The Silence in Between" reinforce the album's steady flow while affording the drums some additional space. The drumming on "What Only You Know" includes some very clever patterns that pair the hi-hat and ride cymbal, while the much darker "Uniformity" ends with a mélange of awesome fills.

More virtuosity abounds on this record as "Apathetic" chugs on in a very old-school manner and "Endtime Hearts" includes a rather surprising guitar solo -- while Mikael Stanne exploits his studiously developed vocal range by combining some smooth clean vocals on "State of Trust" and "What Only You Know" with his standard screams. Despite their experience and extensive back catalogue, these Swedes don't rely on their name to sell a new album; they really challenged themselves with _Construct_ and managed to produce a very fine effort. The only thing that pulls it just slightly backwards is the song structures. Most of them follow the same formula, which renders some of the sections quite predictable. This is a minor issue of course, but one that can affect an album's long term satisfaction potential.

Regardless of which chapter of Dark Tranquillity's career tickles your fancy the most, _Construct_ is definitely a fine addition to a largely respectable discography, and it belongs there. The primordial energy that shines through their timeless masterpiece _The Gallery_ hasn't come back yet, but there are still traces of it.