Not many bands can survive losing their lead guitarist/primary songwriter, but Tribulation is here to prove you can and still produce killer occult/goth/death and roll or whatever you want to call these guys. The Swedish band’s new EP, Hamartia, contains four tracks, the most interesting being the first new songs and the first one written by new guitarist Joseph Tholl.
The EP opens with the title track, which has already been released and is a perfect Tribulation track, the gothic/occult rock layered with those blackened vocals. It’s a great track but nothing fans have not heard before. Axis Mundi is where it gets interesting. The new track is killer and has Tribulation not missing a step. This track is huge in sound and stature and has some killer guitar work from Tholl. If this is what is in store for Tribulation fans going forward no one needs to worry, because an album filled with tracks like Axis Mundi will make even the most hardened Tribulation fan smile. The other new track, Hemoclysm is a left over from the last regime and would have fit just fine on the last album and is a nice addition for fans yearning for more from the band.
Given the occult rock leanings, it is not a surprise the band are fans of Blue Oyster Cult, and if you listen closely you can hear their influence in Tribulation (musically, not vocally, obviously). Which is why a BOC cover is not all that surprising. Their take on Vengeance (The Path) is a relatively straight ahead cover of the excellent song, but with the growls that make it trademark Tribulation. They should use more keys in their stuff after hearing them in Vengeance.
Hamartia is a nice EP teaser of what’s to come in the next phase of Tribulation. If their next output is anything like Axis Mundi I think we are in for the band getting even bigger and helping to heal the wounds of their fans that are still mourning the huge change in the band. Can’t wait to hear more. 7/10
healthyliving - Songs Of Abundance, Psalms Of Grief (Self Released/La Rubia Producciones)
The combination of Amaya López-Carromero (Maud the moth), Scott McLean (Falloch, Ashenspire) and Stefan Pötzsch create wonderful music together. The trio are friends who are all entrenched into the European metal scene, though now all based in Scotland, they have a connection that links them all together creatively and personally. Almost as if being part of a wider European Union was a positive thing?
I digress of course as healthyliving is a project that merges inventive, direct, hook driven music that is inspired by the beauty and horror of the banal, the mundane and our human emotions. Based out of their little community in Scotland it taught them to work without borders or creative restraints, the commraderie of the town as well as the funding from Creative Scotland is what got Songs Of Abundance, Psalms Of Grief off the ground.
The woozy riffs of Until begin this record, the directness of the riffs, bringing some stoner/post rock influences as Amaya's vocals are haunting and ethreal. There's a haziness to the entirety of this debut, no wonder then that they're making their debut at the upcoming Roadburn, the torrents of loudness balanced with waves of hypnotic psych rock. To The Fields dreamily wandering against restrained instrumentals.
Similarly to bands such as MWWB (though not as heavy) and Alunah but also with the gothic features of Grave Pleasures or Siouxie Sioux on Dream Hive, where Scott attacks his guitar in a post punk frenzy as they shift into the slow burning, grieveing Galleries. There is as well a lot of avantgarde artists such as Chelsea Wolfe, A.A Williams and Emma Ruth Rundle along with Kate Bush.
Songs Of Abundance, Psalms Of Grief is a wonderfully giving album packed with honest, personal songwriting and music that shifts from the fierce doom punk of To The Gallows all the way to the dream jazz of Back To Back. I've loved every minute of listening to this album, unique and brilliant. 9/10
Liturgy - 93696 (Thrill Jockey) [Alex Swift]
There are some bands who make the work of the music writer, incredibly challenging in the way their work defies analysis. Liturgy are one of those bands. I don't just mean their music is overly complex, but that Ravenna Hunt-Hendrix, has embroiled her creations in a philosophy of life, song, and God. My research on this led me to one unifying thought, which towered above the others circling around my head in response to the cavalcade of manifesto's, diagrammatic wire frames, and videos that exist to explain her ideas - "What the fuck?" I was intrigued by much yet understood little.
"Transcendental Black Metal is black metal in the mode of sacrifice. It is a clearing aside of contingent features and a fresh exploration of the essence of black metal. As such it is solar, hypertrophic, courageous, finite, and penultimate. Its tone is Affirmation, and its key technique is the Burst Beat" she proclaims in her essay Transcendental Black Metal: A Vision of Apocalyptic Humanism, which acted as a call for an overthrow of traditional, 'hyperborean' black metal, in favour of something more transcendent. This morphed further into a spiritual philosophy attempting to conceptualise some kind of earthly "Haelegen" utopia, as analogised through Liturgy's music on 2019's H.A.Q.Q or 'Haelegen Above Quality and Quantity'.
Now, with 93696, Hunt-Hendrix has created a musical representation of paradise with its title derived from "the religions of Christianity and Thelema, a numerological representation of heaven, or a new eon for civilization". Understandably, that probably sounds like pretentious posturing to some. I don't want to dismiss our frontwoman's ideas, especially considering she's invested so much thought into them, and has said they have been influenced by her experiences with gender dysphoria, having come out as transgender in 2020. However, I also utterly understand why some would prefer to focus solely on the music on its own, considering the lore can pose a significant barrier to entry. That said, if any Liturgy record effectively makes a case for that whole worldview, regardless of its meaning in practice, it’s this one. Part of the point, I've discovered, is that you're not really meant to 'understand' this music, so much as feel its intense yet uplifting quality.
In that sense, 93696 might be the closest they have come to reinventing black metal and capturing the sound of heaven through music. With Hunt-Hendrix having studied Classical music, the album is divided into four distinct "movements", mirroring her interpretation of the four laws of heaven. These sections span intricate math-rock, glitchy electronica and baroque orchestration. The theology aspect is ever present yet exists more in the emotional experience of the album than anything else, feeling like a beautiful, and vibrant soundtrack to the experience of enlightenment than a piece of scripture.
Djenneration is a violent, yet euphoric piece, featuring commanding trap snares, and choirs, that combine for a breath-taking symphonic assault. Hendrix unleashes her distinctive, yet terrifying shriek surrounded by the chirping elegance of flutes. This is truly music from another plain of existence. Moments like the visceral Caela and the cascading Angel Of Sovereignty guide us through a world of destruction and creation, hierarchy, and emancipation. 92696 continually proves an astonishing piece of work, making the listener cower before the temples constructed by these compositions, while reaching out in love, as the music proves incredibly hopeful.
There are some bands who make the work of the music writer, incredibly challenging in the way their work defies analysis. Liturgy are one of those bands. I don't just mean their music is overly complex, but that Ravenna Hunt-Hendrix, has embroiled her creations in a philosophy of life, song, and God. My research on this led me to one unifying thought, which towered above the others circling around my head in response to the cavalcade of manifesto's, diagrammatic wire frames, and videos that exist to explain her ideas - "What the fuck?" I was intrigued by much yet understood little.
"Transcendental Black Metal is black metal in the mode of sacrifice. It is a clearing aside of contingent features and a fresh exploration of the essence of black metal. As such it is solar, hypertrophic, courageous, finite, and penultimate. Its tone is Affirmation, and its key technique is the Burst Beat" she proclaims in her essay Transcendental Black Metal: A Vision of Apocalyptic Humanism, which acted as a call for an overthrow of traditional, 'hyperborean' black metal, in favour of something more transcendent. This morphed further into a spiritual philosophy attempting to conceptualise some kind of earthly "Haelegen" utopia, as analogised through Liturgy's music on 2019's H.A.Q.Q or 'Haelegen Above Quality and Quantity'.
Now, with 93696, Hunt-Hendrix has created a musical representation of paradise with its title derived from "the religions of Christianity and Thelema, a numerological representation of heaven, or a new eon for civilization". Understandably, that probably sounds like pretentious posturing to some. I don't want to dismiss our frontwoman's ideas, especially considering she's invested so much thought into them, and has said they have been influenced by her experiences with gender dysphoria, having come out as transgender in 2020. However, I also utterly understand why some would prefer to focus solely on the music on its own, considering the lore can pose a significant barrier to entry. That said, if any Liturgy record effectively makes a case for that whole worldview, regardless of its meaning in practice, it’s this one. Part of the point, I've discovered, is that you're not really meant to 'understand' this music, so much as feel its intense yet uplifting quality.
In that sense, 93696 might be the closest they have come to reinventing black metal and capturing the sound of heaven through music. With Hunt-Hendrix having studied Classical music, the album is divided into four distinct "movements", mirroring her interpretation of the four laws of heaven. These sections span intricate math-rock, glitchy electronica and baroque orchestration. The theology aspect is ever present yet exists more in the emotional experience of the album than anything else, feeling like a beautiful, and vibrant soundtrack to the experience of enlightenment than a piece of scripture.
Djenneration is a violent, yet euphoric piece, featuring commanding trap snares, and choirs, that combine for a breath-taking symphonic assault. Hendrix unleashes her distinctive, yet terrifying shriek surrounded by the chirping elegance of flutes. This is truly music from another plain of existence. Moments like the visceral Caela and the cascading Angel Of Sovereignty guide us through a world of destruction and creation, hierarchy, and emancipation. 92696 continually proves an astonishing piece of work, making the listener cower before the temples constructed by these compositions, while reaching out in love, as the music proves incredibly hopeful.
Contrast is brilliantly utilised throughout this project, as interludes come to dominate a significant proportion of the 80-minute runtime. Far from squandering this time though, Daily Bread utilises mournful acapella textures to ruminate on despair and hopefulness, while Angel Of Hierarchy enchants through shimmering, ambient textures. These moments provide calm in the storm, acting as opportunities for quiet contemplation, as their contrast with the cacophonous sections forces the listener to comprehend the multifaceted nature of just existing.
Elsewhere, Red Crown II evokes sinister folk music textures, the traditional elements eloquently capturing the sense of worship and devotion in a way that is both disquieting and divine. The gorgeous neo-classical, Angel Of Individuation draws on Jungian philosophy, symbolising the process by which unconscious thoughts are brought into consciousness over a gradual process. Pointedly, although these are daunting concepts, it's understandable how they would have resonated with Hunt-Hendrix during her transition and folded themselves into her wider perspective on the afterlife.
Elsewhere, Red Crown II evokes sinister folk music textures, the traditional elements eloquently capturing the sense of worship and devotion in a way that is both disquieting and divine. The gorgeous neo-classical, Angel Of Individuation draws on Jungian philosophy, symbolising the process by which unconscious thoughts are brought into consciousness over a gradual process. Pointedly, although these are daunting concepts, it's understandable how they would have resonated with Hunt-Hendrix during her transition and folded themselves into her wider perspective on the afterlife.
In many ways, this is a project about self-discovery, as its concepts of heaven, angels and god's can be interpreted as metaphorical analogies for reinvention of oneself, meaning you may find the album is more relatable than you initially realise. 93696 is a masterwork - a piece of otherworldly beauty that is based in spirituality, yet deeply rooted in human struggle.
Experience this album in one sitting, allowing its serene, violent, and glorious textures to be all that exists for a while, as you feel consumed by the rapturous yet entrancing quality of these songs. Pieces like the album’s title track and Antigone II may mesmerise with their furious twists and turns, not to mention their length. However, its these fierce juxtapositions between musical movements and genres that make the album so incredible. as Hendrix and co. wrench beauty from disorder. 9/10
Rise Of The Northstar - Showdown (Atomic Fire Records) [Zak Skane]
The crossover icons get straight to the point with their intro track Anthem, with its brutal assault of snarling guitars, caffeine driven drum beats and their iconic anime infused hardcore lyrics which leads us into some classic hardcore gang chants. Our first full track Showdown begins with some grinding bass lines to hype us up into some bouncy riffs, whilst channelling some classic nu metal vibes with DJ scratches, low tunes riffs and rapped verses. Third Strike continues on the Nu Metal vibes with the Slipknot inspired riffage, punchy down beats eerie sounding leads that would make the members of Korn's hair stand on end and aggressive sound vocals that would make Corey Taylor advise Vithia to take up some anger management.
Experience this album in one sitting, allowing its serene, violent, and glorious textures to be all that exists for a while, as you feel consumed by the rapturous yet entrancing quality of these songs. Pieces like the album’s title track and Antigone II may mesmerise with their furious twists and turns, not to mention their length. However, its these fierce juxtapositions between musical movements and genres that make the album so incredible. as Hendrix and co. wrench beauty from disorder. 9/10
Rise Of The Northstar - Showdown (Atomic Fire Records) [Zak Skane]
The crossover icons get straight to the point with their intro track Anthem, with its brutal assault of snarling guitars, caffeine driven drum beats and their iconic anime infused hardcore lyrics which leads us into some classic hardcore gang chants. Our first full track Showdown begins with some grinding bass lines to hype us up into some bouncy riffs, whilst channelling some classic nu metal vibes with DJ scratches, low tunes riffs and rapped verses. Third Strike continues on the Nu Metal vibes with the Slipknot inspired riffage, punchy down beats eerie sounding leads that would make the members of Korn's hair stand on end and aggressive sound vocals that would make Corey Taylor advise Vithia to take up some anger management.
One Love brings the use of some groovy electronic trap beats whilst we get some low pitch vocal samples that reminisces of 2013 era Issues whilst we get some goofy swaggered lyrics in which would make Fred Durst put his tongue in his cheek before we got some P.O.D styled choruses along side harmonic spiced riffs that would put a smile on any Fear Factory fan. When you start to think things were getting repetitive, Phantom opens Shogun No Shi with some neck breaking double kick beats whilst Eva – B and Air One provide some thunderous down picked riffs.
Clan brings new depths to the band sound with chilling ambient cleans, Rage Against the Machine guitar samples and a soaring guitar solo that would make the guitar hero John Petrucci gleam with pride. Finally their closing track Rise shows that bands more surreal self, by proving they are worthy competitors in the game by providing some solid song structures instrumentally and lyrically. Vitha’s surreal yet uplifting lyrics are performed to poetical perfection whilst the band perform a perfect bed to match with their classic tried and tested verse, chorus repeat structure leaving this song to be one of the best ones on the album.
Sonically Showdown sounds amazing, Johann Meyer and Ted Jensen brought honour to this bands sound sharpening the guitars and drums becomes a sonic assault to the listener whilst capturing Vitha’s words of on time cheesy wisdom. This band is known for dividing audience with their sound of their samurai themed hardcore and this album is no exception. For fans of the cheesiness Limp Bizkit meets the up lifting spirit of Hatebreed. 6/10
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