On their sixth album Sub Rosa In Aeternum, Tribulation continue their metamorphosis into a gothic giant. Since this is their first album recording session since the departure of Jonathan Hultén who left after their last album was recorded, it almost immediately takes on a tone in the vein of The Sisters Of Mercy, Paradise Lost and even the High Parasite album from earlier this year.
“Tainted Skies” is one of the heavier songs on the album, and had it not been for the gruff vocal delivery could well just be a heavy metal track on its own. “Drink The Love Of God” is quick and gothy with Johannes Andersson doing his very best to insert himself into the conversation for one of the genre’s current best frontmen, just an absolute barn burner from start to finish.
“Murder In Red” feels like a total departure from the heaviness of old, instead appearing as though it is a direct offshoot of goth rock from the 1980s steeped in celestial atmosphere underneath a stark black silhouette. If you didn’t know that this was Tribulation before, you’d be hard pressed to find another example of the band sounding exactly like this.
With this being the band’s fourth album since shifting away from being a death metal band, they still aren’t afraid of reinventing themselves. “Time & The Vivid Ore” is a welcome tune to the ears of the faithful, being more in line with their last few albums, showing that this iteration of the band is embedded well within their underpinnings.
If a gradual maturation for these Swedes is what you are looking for, Sub Rosa In Aeturnum shows that you can maintain what got you here, but not in a way that just sees a band rest on their laurels. Tribulation have further solidified themselves as titans of the heavy music scene.
(released November 1, 2024 on Century Media Records)
Heavy Music HQ Rating:
Watch Tribulation – “Hungry Waters” Video
