Tribunal In Penitence and Ruin CD Review
These days when someone mentions Doom Metal my mind immediately runs towards the Stoner type of Doom, and I think of long songs, never-ending riffs and tone. Somehow or another I’ve forgotten about the aspects of Doom that don’t involve getting high and playing the same shit over and over… Don’t ask me how this happened, but it did and I’m ashamed of it. For the past several years, my collection of My Dying Bride, Theatre of Tragedy, Paradise Lost and The Sins of Thy Beloved have sat on the shelves lonely and untouched. We can toss the band Tristania in there too although I wouldn’t consider them exactly Doom, but they did share some of the same aspects.
This all changed a few weeks ago when the sophomore effort “In Penitence and Ruin” from Canadian Doom band, Tribunal hit my box. I was instantly reminded of all the bands I’ve mentioned previously. It immediately made me want to listen to all those releases again, so that’s what I did, I grabbed a few of them every day for the work commute and I relived some good times and great albums! Early days of Peaceville Records & Napalm Records releases were exquisite. I’m not sure if we talked about the Doom aspect back then or if we were more enthused with the “Beauty and the Beast” Gothic Metal tag lines – that may have very well been what we thought in those days. At any length, all those listens on the drives to and from work had me primed and even more ready for Tribunal’s sophomore effort “In Penitence and Ruin”.
This album is a breath of fresh cemetery air, you can hear the cries of the living as they weep and mourn over their loved ones. And while that’s not exactly the happiest thought I’ve ever had, it’s a very fitting thought based on the music and mood represented here. Musically it’s deeply enriched by string arrangements, cellos and the like – very fitting to the bands previously mentioned. I feel a deep kinship to the album; I feel at home. No, Tribunal isn’t a rip off, they stand tall on their own and pay immense tribute to those that came before whether it was their intention or not. That’s exactly what I’m hearing, and I adore it, it takes me back to a time when music like this was ever present and easily found. Nowadays, it’s a rarity. This album is one epic moment after another musically, the compositions are gripped with funeral type dirges and backed by thick, rich and smoky female vocals which take lead over the “beast” vocals. If there were a downside to this album, it would be those aggressive vocals, while they’re good, they seem to blend in with the music a bit too much. I would’ve preferred them to be pushed up in the mix so they too could stand out. With music like this it’s the little things that tend to mean the most to me. This is a vibe, it’s a landscape of all things dark, intense, sad and at times horrifying.
“In Penitence and Ruin” is an outstanding record for the musical landscape of 2025, there aren’t too many bands still around that create music and moods like this. It’s brilliant and heartfelt even if those heartfelt moments are kissed by the lips of death.
Stand out tracks – “The Penitent”, “Angel of Mercy”, “Armoured in Shadow” and “And the Thorn-Choked Flowers Grow”.