Written: 28th October 2024
Twenty years into their existence, Tribulation are far removed from the feral death metal of their early days and for that, they make no apology. "We're not a band that's going back to where we started. I would think that’d be obvious by now,” says vocalist Johannes Andersson. "I think our albums are all different. That's important to us as artists, actually. I lose interest in bands who try to experiment for a few albums, and when that doesn't work, they go back to the formula that worked. Back to brutal, so to speak.”
As such, Tribulation’s sixth album Sub Rosa In Æternum blends a fascinating combination of gothic rock, post-punk and electronic elements with compelling melodies and haunting textures. Opening track The Unrelenting Choir begins with pulsating bass and a distant swirling wind creating an ominous overture. Andersson’s vocal approach varies across the album and here he adopts a slow, almost chant like style in his delivery of clean vocals which hypnotises the listener. Moody and atmospheric, The Unrelenting Choir sets the scene for the album.
Tainted Skies immediately changes tack and vibrant guitars from Adam Zaars and Joseph Tholl shake us from our dark reverie. Lyrically exploring the innate tension between despair, hope and the acceptance of life’s cyclical nature, it urges contemplation of our place within the cosmic order. When the master shakes the heavens / When the luminaries hide / We call upon the absolute / Tainted skies / When the wind repeats the motion / And the raging sea abides / We gaze upon the shadows / In a tainted sky. Andersson growls (his vocal choices across the album are varied to say the least) and together, the band produces an insanely catchy song - complete with a pair of sizzling guitar solos.
Saturn Coming Down is, in the words of Adam Zaars, “A song that creeps up on you and that hopefully gets thoroughly under your skin. It's a taste of the new musical areas we've charted that's taken us to places we've never ventured into before. An ode to a very old titan, who constantly seems to be lurking behind our backs." Delving into themes of mortality and the passage of time, the quartet continue their aim for more immediate tracks. Here, Andersson growls during the first verse and then changes to the dark warmth of his clean vocals. However, this was not something that necessarily came easy to him. “Clean vocals are obviously new to me. I can growl no problem, but I had to learn to sing, actually. I was pretty nervous about it at first, but since it was always about doing better than we did before, it ultimately made sense.”
As we progress through the album, it is clear that Tribulation are eager to venture into uncharted musical realms. Hungry Waters continues to ensnare the listener, deceptively simple but utterly beguiling. Beginning with an intriguing bass line, Oscar Leander's inventive percussion, engaging synths and another captivating vocal from Andersson lead to the majestic grandeur of the chorus that lifts the track to a new dimension and thoughtful solos including a section of dual guitar work. A segment of staccato keyboards links to the quite mesmeric conclusion of the track during which Tribulation reach theatrical heights. Drink The Love Of God is rousing from the first second to the last during three minutes of zealous fervour. Perfectly placed on the album, it drags us willingly along on a track that - with some type of auditory illusion - seems to get faster and faster. Hook laden and infectious.
The gothic elements of the album reach their zenith with Murder in Red as the band use vivid imagery and references to classic horror and thriller films – also seen within the song’s video - to explore the themes of murder, obsession and the morbid. Guitarist Adam Zaars comments, "Draped in the velvet of violent cinema, Murder in Red is our operatic homage to the beauty of the macabre. Haunting and deadly.” With a delicious, ghoulish delight, Tribulation cast their spell. Synths throb like the soundtrack to a 1980s horror film and Andersson’s clean vocals glimmer with a foreboding restraint that makes the whole thing all the more terrifying. Nothing else could have found me wanting / The urge to kill is insatiable / Crystal plumage or a metal noose / The blood starts to flow. Completely intoxicating, high pitched synth notes seemingly reach up from hell, and an icy guitar solo and operatic female vocal add yet more drama.
The diversity that is at play on Sub Rosa In Æternum is never more apparent than looking at differences between Time and The Vivid Ore and Reaping Song. Time and The Vivid Ore is built around a riff, albeit heavier, that is hugely redolent of Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be by AC/DC. However, the growling vocals reminds us to whom we are listening. In complete contrast, Reaping Song is a sublime, soulful track that, without doubt, pays deference to the band’s love of Nick Cave. It builds magnificently and, for completely different reasons, competes with Murder In Red as the best song on the album. Ending with the longest track on the album - Poison Pages – Tribulation combine everything that has made the album such an evocative, spellbinding journey.
With Sub Rosa In Æternum, Tribulation have made an album completely on their own terms. Johannes Andersson sums it up as follows, “Sub Rosa is still Tribulation, but it's catchier and poppier. The black-death metal crowd might think we've gone too far. That's how it goes. Stagnation is death." Little trace of the band’s death metal roots remain and fans looking for such a turnaround – which in all honesty was never going to happen - are set to be disappointed. However, those listeners willing to embrace the rich, melancholic, gothic rock atmospheres, opulent splendour and, at times, moments of understated simplicity, will be rewarded with an enigmatically alluring album that demands your attention time and time again. Often sitting somewhere between Deathstars and The Mission, Sub Rosa In Æternum is shadowy, seductive and addictive.
Sub Rosa In Æternum is released on 1st November 2024
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