Review TRIBULATION “Sub Rosa in Æternum”

There seems to be a wave of dark rock heralding the dark season in the northern hemisphere. Bands like Unto Others and Neon Nightmare have just released their latest albums, and a few days later, Swedish rockers Tribulation have added another moment of darkness to the mix.

Tribulation was formed in 2004 in Arvika, Sweden and premiered with “The Horror”. The breakthrough came when the band released ‘The Children Of The Night’, their first album to be released on Century Media. Almost ten years later, the four-piece are back with “Sub Rosa in Æternum”, their sixth album in almost two decades.

Tribulation has never been a band that focused on repeating the formula of success, as the band evolved from a death metal-rooted powerhouse to a group that added more and more dark rock and gothic vibes to their sound. This love affair with the gloomy sounds of music finds a new outlet on “Sub Rosa in Æternum”.

What remains as a common thread throughout is the doomy groove that runs through each of the releases, while the latest effort shows a new side of Tribulation. The music on “Sub Rosa in Æternum” is a fusion of psychedelic sound collages, gothic rock and darkened metal, with Johannes Andersson’s vocals being one of the strong pillars of this melancholic sonic construct.

The lead single from the album is “Saturn Coming Down”, a dark rock anthem that combines the melancholy of Nick Cave with some solid rock roots, metal riffing and a well-crafted melody. There isn’t much room for happy colours and sunshine on this album. Songs like the rousing ‘Hungry Waters’ are touching melodies with a hypnotic appeal.

The very beginning of the album shows that this is a special album and that the band hasn’t gone back to the past without denying their roots. “The Unrelenting Choir” is more of a cinematic intro than a song, at least until the dark vocals come in. It’s the perfect scene-setter for an album that includes “Murder in Red”, a track that is atmospheric and opulent in its simplicity.

“Time & the Vivid Ore” is a song that comes closest to Tribulation’s previous releases, while “Poison Pages” reflects the powerful gothic influences that the band has incorporated much more than before.

“Sub Rosa in Æternum” shows some new turns when it comes to the sound of Tribulation. The album contains songs that display the development of a band moving forward instead of following a standard pattern, and they do it in a way that fans of the early Tribulation will still find enough common ground to get excited about the album. At the same time, “Sub Rosa in Æternum” opens the door for new fans to explore the music of the four Swedes. Well done.