Label: Century Media
Release date: April 20th, 2015
By Laetitia
Whoever said that metal is not innovative anymore, should listen to Tribulation’s third full-length effort The Children of the Night. Hailing from Sweden and being classified as (progressive) death metal (partially due to the way they started out and now somewhat unjust) the first thought that surfaced was that this might just be yet another band that would mimic the Gothenburg death metal style. Yes, Tribulation flirts with that style, but also with the likes of Dissection, Iron Maiden, Type O Negative and the music has an atypical touch of vintage catchiness. To be honest, this blend of music is one of the most refreshing that yours truly has heard in a while.
It takes a spin or two before one can fully appreciate The Children of The Night. It is quite possible that it sounds strange at first. Vocalist Johannes Andersson raspy death growl (similar to the vocal style of deceased fellow countryman Jon Nödtveid) is probably the most consistent aspect. The album takes the listener through a wide spectrum of music with a death ‘n roll atmosphere.
For example, a song as Melancholia, is an upbeat rock song with a touch of darkness that is created by underlying old school riffs. Or, as the song The Motherhood of God and the haunting track Strains of Horror exemplify, Tribulation does not shy away from combining their heavier metal sound with (sometimes organ driven) retro rock. This in combination with excellent song writing gives this album such a distinctive sound, which you only find ever so often. The album also features more metal-driven tracks, such as In The Dreams of The Dead. It is mainly structured around guitar riffs, echoing leads and with its rolling drums, it sounds as a nod to Dissection and Watain.
As said, this is one of the more innovative records yours truly has heard in a while: it is catchy but at the same time dark and it blends metal with vintage rock seemlessly, like these two styles are the most natural combination out there. I can’t conclude with anything other than: be sure to give The Children of the Night a spin.
Rating: 8,5/10
Tracklist:
1. Strange Gateways Beckon
2. Melancholia
3. In The Dreams Of The Dead
4. Winds
5. Själaflykt
6. The Motherhood Of God
7. Strains Of Horror
8. Holy Libations
9. Cauda Pavonis
10. Music From The Other