sson ▁reduced ▁his ▁role ▁in ▁arr anging ▁the ▁songs , ▁while ▁keyboard ist ▁Martin ▁Brand st rom , ▁guitar ist ▁Nik las ▁Sund in , ▁and ▁drum mer ▁Anders ▁J iv arp ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁principal ▁song writing ▁team . ▁Stan ne ▁commented ▁about ▁this ▁method : ▁ ▁Stan ne ▁attributed ▁the ▁album ' s ▁sharp ▁departure ▁from ▁previous ▁albums ▁to ▁the ▁band ' s ▁struggle ▁with ▁" writer ' s ▁block " ▁and ▁the ▁alternate ▁song writing ▁configuration ▁that ▁eventually ▁enabled ▁the ▁band ▁to ▁create ▁the ▁new ▁album : ▁" The ▁material ▁we ▁had ▁was ▁pretty ▁emot ional . ▁It ▁was ▁written ▁during ▁this ▁period ▁where ▁we ▁were ▁struggling ... M ost ▁of ▁the ▁material ▁was ▁emot ional ▁and ▁sad ▁and ▁heavy . ▁That ' s ▁what ▁the ▁album ▁became . ▁The ▁stuff ▁we ▁wrote ▁during ▁our ▁dark est ▁period ▁was ▁put ▁together ▁in ▁the ▁most ▁cre ative ▁way ▁we ▁had ▁done ▁in ▁many ▁years ." ▁Their ▁previous ▁album , ▁We ▁Are ▁the ▁Void ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁as ▁posit ively ▁received ▁as ▁their ▁previous ▁albums , ▁and ▁the ▁group ▁had ▁experienced ▁troubles ▁in ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁album , ▁such ▁as ▁in - f ight ing . ▁ ▁The ▁band ▁commented ▁on ▁the ▁style ▁of ▁the ▁album , ▁saying , ▁" Wh ile ▁still ▁bearing ▁the ▁un m ist ak able ▁mark ▁of ▁the ▁Dark ▁T ran qu ill ity , ▁the ▁record ▁is ▁probably ▁our ▁most ▁different ▁and ▁diverse ▁offering ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 9 ' s ▁Project or ".