For most bands, a six year time frame may not allow for a great deal of exploration and maturity but for Tribulation, it’s been a period for three albums all of which show more development than some bands show in a life time. The four piece may have started out as many Swedish bands do, paying homage to the old school, horror filled styles of death metal veterans from the homeland, with debut album ‘The Horror’ being praised for its energetic appreciation of the genre.
‘The Formulas of Death’ saw the band take a more conceptual approach and their third full length, ‘The Children of the Night’ continues to execute death metal with such intelligence. Whilst most bands change styles to keep up with the times, Tribulation’s choice of sound on the album seems to delve further into the past than nineties SweDeath and into a more retro vibe as they embark on their first release on Century Media. This may seem an odd combination, particularly with the vocals still definitively harsh but the melodies create hooks that are still as catchy as before, especially on track ‘In The Dreams of the Dead’.
The vintage elements, organ based intros and slightly more eerie approach may cause cries of Ghost and In Solitude similarities but the death n roll that is created between such instrumentals is more atmosphere than straight up theatre. The album finishes close to the hour mark and for some the instrumentals and dragged out tracks may seem a little unnecessary but when the spacey vibe implied throughout is so far from ‘The Horror’, it’s understandable why ‘The Children of the Night’ should be enjoyed for so long.
(8/10 Lily Randall)
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