Tribulation - The Formulas of Death

Review by Andy Osborn.

Cover art by Jonathan Hultén

There are a few different types of truly great albums. There’s the ones that initially fly under the radar until dozens of repeat listens reveal their power and significance. There are some that are so ahead of their time that their greatness isn’t realized until years later. And then there are albums that blow you away from the very beginning and you cherish each new second as the recording enters your ears for the first time. This is one of those albums. It’s so good that I’ve been listening to it on a regular basis for six months and have only now been able to put my feelings about it into words. In fact, every time I’ve sat down to write about this record I’ve been so engrossed and distracted by the music that words just seems to escape me.

The relatively dormant Swedes begin their second full-length with the rare instance of an intro track that’s worth listening to. Eschewing ambient noise or the hyper-orchestral build-up, “Vagina Dentata” sounds like a fully realized song sans vocals, plus it has a name that would make any person uncomfortably cross their legs if thought about too much. It sets up the following 70+ minutes flawlessly by presenting the band’s distinct style in an easy to understand burst of energy. One thing to keep in mind is that Tribulation have no qualms about infusing and contorting death metal to the point where it’s almost unrecognizable. This is because the band takes an anything-goes approach to the genre, forging a path in a world rife with maps and pre-defined routes.

The Formulas of Death is anything but. There isn't a single death metal cliche to be found; no gore-obsessed lyrics paired with a guitar tuned to one of the first three letters of the alphabet, and no HM-2 buzzsaw tone or early ‘90s bandwagon hopping. In fact, the simple term Extreme Metal would be the best descriptor to avoid a mass of hyphenated adjectives and subgenre nit-pickery. And Tribulation know the key to extremity lies not in riffs and blasts that scream at the listener to realize how heavy they are, it's rather subtlety and intrigue that draws and holds attention. Destructively catchy riffs are as fleeting as they are numerous as the quintet cycle through a seemingly endless arsenal of head-bangable weaponry.

“Suspiria” is the mid-album, mid-tempo highlight, marking the first time the band has reached into double-digits. It plods through with an impressive groove held up with leads that range from the quietly ominous to bombastically melodic, holding your attention for the next slight turn or sonic deviation. Its almost symmetrical execution shows just why the Arvika natives are such good songwriters; they evolve and add nuance to the song without adding too much experimentation to leave the listener bored. Every song is a highlight in its own way and it’s clear that souls at the very least were signed away to achieve such otherworldly inspiration. Like the first track on the release, the instrumental interludes of the Silent Hill-like “לילה” - Hebrew for “night” - and “Ultra Silvam” aren’t unwelcome and instead add a sense of depth and clarity to the band’s overall mission.

Less thrash-focused than their debut and at more than twice the length, The Formulas of Death is an unusual example of the sophomore self-discovery record that completely transforms a band and launches them to greatness. Its varying styles and nuanced structure provide a hefty dose of vitality into the Swedish death metal scene while launching it into a new era. An era that will be heralded and defined by this release.

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Shriner - 2011 demo

Review by Aaron Sullivan.


Hailing from New Jersey comes the Sludgy Post-Metal band known as Shriner. Jersey has a pretty healthy Sludge scene with bands like Sadgiqacea and Ominous Black to name a few. With this demo Shriner are looking to add their name to the mix.

This genre is one that seems to produce a new band every few minutes, so finding one that can separate itself from the pack can be hard. With Shriner it’s not what they do in the heavy department that sets them apart but rather the quiet parts. They don’t mind getting quiet with shimmering guitar parts that seem to sway back and forth. These are atmospheres you can get lost in, hypnotic and beautiful. Then, in comes the heavy to snap you back to reality. Crushing distortion to push your speakers to their limit. Three songs, two clocking in at over 10 minutes (and the third pretty close to ten) they do a great job of always moving the song along. Never shifting gears too abruptly, but also never staying in one place too long. Vocals are harsh but low enough in the mix to not overshadow the music. The production overall is great.

In a genre as over run as Post Metal it is nice to hear a band that gets it right. I see big things happening for Shriner. Or at least as big can get for a band that play’s Metal.

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Hivelords - Cavern Apothecary

Guest review by Chris Grigg.

Artwork by Tim Buckley

Any review that starts from a position of bias but does not acknowledge said bias is misleading, so it needs to be stated that I am a Hivelords fanboy. I produced their Grand Cromlech 7" and was asked to do the same for Cavern Apothecary but my schedule made it impossible. In a way, I am glad; contributing to the recording process makes the final master feel much less magical, makes the sum parts stick out more, makes it feel more personal (which is nice) but removes some of the distance required to be truly awed by a work. This is the case with Cavern Apothecary. I wish I could have worked on it, I am glad I did not; I am in awe.

Photo by Jordan Fogal.

"Awe" is a powerful word. Dictionary.com says, "an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like." It suggests the union of the emotional and the intellectual; with it comes an implication of mystery, of distance, of otherness. These are things I get from this band and this record. There are many words that get used to describe metal bands, especially of the black or blackened variety: evil, demonic, twisted; but Hivelords manage to pull off something I find more rare: deep, ominous, creeping, oozing, existentially threatening. Their sound suggests a maturity far beyond their years. Most musicians toil for years before they find such a perfect union, but Cavern Apothecary manages it all: vocals that at times direct traffic and otherwise take the traditional extreme metal "sound coloration" position to make room for haunting riffs; solid, perfectly placed in-the-pocket drumming; and the most clever, mature use of bass I have heard on a metal record in years. Look no further than second track "Antenna Manifest" for this to come into plain view. From its huge, ominous opening to the chilling warble of Kevin North's delay-heavy vocals, to the shifting of the melody from guitar to vocals to bass back to vocals, as the song climbs and pounds and pushes forward until all pieces are full of unnatural energy.

Photo by Jordan Fogal.

Hivelords squeeze everything they possibly can out of their material. Their understanding of their craft is a treat, one of the underground's best-kept secrets. They are more HP Lovecraft than Clive Barker and possess a "less-is-more" ethos that most bands never quite understand.

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