Du & jag döden

The band's previous album, Vapen & Ammunition (2002) became a commercial success, but lead singer and primary songwriter Joakim Berg has said it's not the album "we want to be remembered for".[9] Kent, along with many critics, felt that Vapen & ammunition was over-produced and according to rhythm guitarist Harri Mänty the band wanted to "rediscover, how we sound".[10] Joakim Berg wanted to distance himself from the verse-chorus-verse based songs from the previous album, saying: "On this album I didn't want those hands in the air, sing along-choruses. Instead, I wrote longer verses, and the places where you think the chorus will come, there is instead often something else", and instead he opted for songs with "a more trance-like feeling".[10]

The title Du & jag döden is a reference to Astrid Lindgren's children's novels Emil i Lönneberga where Emil says "Du och jag, Alfred".[11] As the title implies, death is a major theme of the album, of which Joakim Berg has said: "Many of the songs are about the feeling of immortality, you have within you at the age of 18. Which really is ironic because you are vulnerable especially during that time because life has not hardened you yet. Later you must come to terms with the actions of your past – the years of atonement, I will call them. And then it goes downhill with aging. So when it comes to death, then it is not the exhalation we fear. But the time leading up to it".[12] The theme is most prominent in the song "Mannen i den vita hatten (16 år senare)" where Berg sings "Vi ska alla en gång dö" ("We will all die one day"). Berg has said of the song: "Death and taxes are the only thing you cannot avoid. It sounds depressing when you only hear that line, but the gist is that you should not worry, but do something with the time you have. Everyone is striving toward a goal all the time that seem to be based on some kind of dissatisfaction, no matter how well you are feeling."[11] In keeping with the theme, the plastic album cover and the playable side of the CD are both black.

In Sweden, the album debuted at number one, becoming their fifth number-one album.[13] The album debuted at number two in Denmark, selling 4200 copies in its first week.[14]

All lyrics are written by Joakim Berg.

• The song title "Järnspöken" plays on an expression in Swedish, "Hjärnspöken", which literally means "brain ghosts" and refers to imagined problems, from fixations and unfounded fears to paranoia and hallucinations. "Hjärna" is Swedish for "brain", whereas "järn" means "iron", but the two words are pronounced the same way.
• A limited edition of the album was also available. This included postcards sensitive to UV-light, a booklet printed on especially thin paper and a poster with the cover picture, among other things. The limitation was 9000 items.
• The album was also available on vinyl, limited to 1500 items.

• Joakim Berg - Lead vocals, guitars and primary songwriter
• Martin Sköld - Bass and keyboards
• Sami Sirviö - Lead guitar and keyboards
• Harri Mänty - Rhythm guitar
• Markus Mustonen - drums, piano, keyboards and backing vocals

• Du & jag döden at Discogs (list of releases)