A DEPARTURE IN END-TIME MOOD

For fans of heavy and intense metal sounds, the Ultima Ratio Fest is one of the go-to events on the scene. In 2025, the acclaimed tour returns to Pratteln – and the current line-up is a real powerhouse. Headlining the bill are Gothenburg melodic-death icons Dark Tranquillity, who delivered their most successful album to date with Endtime Signals in 2024, charting higher than ever before in the band’s 35-year history. High-profile special guests Soen and Equilibrium, along with acclaimed opener Iotunn, complete this metal night for true connoisseurs.

Dark Tranquillity rank alongside In Flames, At The Gates and Soilwork as one of the key flag-bearers of the Gothenburg melodic death metal scene. Awarded the prestigious Swedish Grammis in the Hard Rock/Metal category in 2021, the band around frontman Mikael Stanne have been delivering albums of the highest quality for more than three decades. Despite an almost completely renewed line-up, Dark Tranquillity have maintained their impressive consistency and achieved their greatest international chart success to date with Endtime Signals in summer 2024. Reaching No. 5 in Switzerland, No. 6 in Germany and No. 7 in Austria, the album marked the strongest chart positions of their long career.
The success wasn’t limited to sales alone – critics were equally enthusiastic, naming the record Album of the Month and awarding top ratings. Musikreviews.de wrote: “In terms of performance and production, Dark Tranquillity move even closer to perfection with Endtime Signals. The 13th studio album by the Gothenburg death metal pioneers is a high-gloss product with heart and brain.” The conclusion: “Endtime Signals delivers contemporary melodic death metal with a bombastic touch, a refined dose of surprising twists by Dark Tranquillity standards, trademark details and overall more versatile songwriting than its predecessor.”
The album channels all the unrest, fear and confusion of the world into twelve gripping, powerful tracks – catharsis and darkness, determination and acceptance. With the current line-up of Mikael Stanne (vocals), Martin Brändström (keyboards), Johan Reinholdz (guitars), Joakim Strandberg Nilsson (drums) and Christian Jansson (bass), Dark Tranquillity usher in a new era full of momentum. Anyone who loves the Gothenburg sound will get their full fix here. Endtime Signals is an album without weaknesses – flawlessly performed and powerfully produced. The band have already proven on the release tour how seamlessly the new songs integrate into their live set.

Soen:
Less than a year after their last Z7 headliner show, Soen return to Pratteln in September 2025 as special guests of Dark Tranquillity, inviting Swiss fans once again to immerse themselves in emotionally charged soundscapes and embark on a breathtaking journey through fascinating sonic worlds. Their current album Memorial, which once again tackles contemporary social issues, is driven by immense momentum. Crunching riff aggression merges with Soen’s unique blend of progressiveness, intensity and beauty. With Memorial, the band have raised the bar yet again – and the new material translates exceptionally well to the stage. After their October 2024 show in Pratteln, Plekvetica wrote: “Soen delivered a performance that got under your skin from the very first song. The opener ‘Sincere’, along with other new tracks, pulled the audience into a musical trance that invited dancing and singing along.” Diebuehrers.com added: “The hall was boiling with excitement and the band received the celebration they deserved. Soen once again proved why they are one of the most outstanding prog-metal bands of our time. An unforgettable night at Z7.”

Equilibrium:
By fusing a fierce modern metal sound with elements of traditional folk music, German band Equilibrium have created a distinctive sonic universe over nearly 25 years – both rousing and spiritually uplifting. Their longevity is largely due to a willingness to evolve, explore new sonic territories and reveal fresh facets with every release. At the core, however, remains their enduring appeal: raw metal presented through expansive, cinematic soundscapes that span the full range of human emotion. Despite often dark tonal colours, Equilibrium’s music also evokes hope and confidence. Driven by an ever-burning fire, grand melodies, triumphant choruses and a darkly pulsing energy, the band present their mighty epic metal hymns. With the track “Gnosis”, released in summer 2024, they offered a first glimpse of the upcoming album. Founder René Berthiaume explains: “We worked on new songs for Equilibrium all year long. We had to dive deep to find the ingredients we truly want to use for our next chapter. I think the new songs are the most organic, grounded, emotional and epic we’ve ever written.”

Iotunn:
The Danish/Faroese metal band Iotunn released another masterpiece of progressive melodic death metal with their second full-length album Kinship in October 2024. Rising straight from the primordial sea, Kinship is a monumental work that even surpasses the acclaimed debut Access All Worlds. Across eight mythologically inspired tracks, the album embarks on a journey that stretches across vast musical and lyrical realms, exploring the deep roots of human nature. The compositions demonstrate how Iotunn expand their sonic universe into entirely new territories without ever losing touch with their core essence. A Metal Hammer reviewer wrote: “Powerful yet vulnerable, Kinship invites listeners into a sound world that quickly reveals itself as a force of nature. What the band achieves on their second album surpasses, in places, the skills of seasoned artists. Around a framework of progressive melodic death metal, they weave demanding, brutal epicness with accessible melody – from the very first note of the opener ‘Kinship Elegiac’.”