Tribulation - Sub Rosa In Æternum CD Review

One of the things that has me so invested in Tribulation is that they're a bit of a wild card. With each release they expand their sound and experiment with different influences and tap into different veins of the dark cosmos. Their first two albums are straightforward death metal while their follow up releases became more progressive and leaned into gothic metal and death rock. Regardless of whatever stylistic journey they want to take me on, I'm here for it and Sub Rosa In Æternum might just be their crowning achievement.

There's beauty in the absence of light and being surrounded by such a calming yet horrific atmosphere. Johannes' haunting vocal performances on songs like "Hungry Waters", "Murder in Red" and "Reaping Song" almost force you into an out of body experience as your mind is conflicted between the beauty and dark depravity and you can do nothing but standby and see which takes hold. There are also plenty of his trademark raspy, growling vocals which can be found on songs like "Tainted Skies" and "Time & The Vivid Ore".

As mentioned previously, you're never quite sure what to expect and there are a variety of moods that vary from track to track. "Saturn Coming Down" and "Hungry Waters" have more of a calm and morose tone (the latter with an excellent piano piece) while "Drink the Love of God" and "Tainted Skies" have faster tempos with mesmerizing choruses and feature some of the album's best guitar work. The closing track "Poison Pages" has a strong Sisters of Mercy feel that the band molds into their sound flawlessly and produces one of my favorite offerings. But if I'm being honest with myself, I could say, on any given day, any song on Sub Rosa In Æternum is a favorite. I prefer this version of the band to their death metal roots and feel this is their true calling

~TJ