Sweden's figure among a rare breed of bands capable of balancing their undeniably impressive musicianship and lofty song and lyric-writing ambitions with the commitment to serving a song's best interest, not their own individual instrumental prowess. More unique yet is their heavy reliance on -- often the most predictable and repetitive of subgenres -- for much of their sonic imprint, as they effortlessly integrate its best elements into their inventive compositions. Arguably their most consistent and rewarding to date, the group's stellar fourth album fleshes out what few forced experiments had tarnished earlier works into a strong and cohesive set from start to finish. Singer/guitarist wisely eschews the operatic excesses employed by many of his peers, both in the and fields; yet his range is quite impressive, ranging from delicately emotive melodies (particularly on the beautiful ) to spitting fury bordering on -style shouting (see moments in ). Along with fellow guitarist , his frequently beautiful solos often become the lasting centerpieces of album highlights such as and the title track. Keyboards and synthesizers are also an ever-present ingredient of the band's sound, but never overwhelm the songs (see the excellent for a perfect example), which retain a crushingly focused, sheen at all times. is another strong outing from a reliable force in . ~ Eduardo Rivadavia