REVIEW: Tribulation - Sub Rosa In Æternum

Sweden's contributions to the music industry are plenty - from ABBA to Ghost, if there's one thing the Swedes do well it is music. Hailing from the idyllic town of Arvika; Tribulation burst onto the scene in 2005 displaying their unique take on the goth rock genre by blending it with death metal, to become the modern maestros of their genre by haunting and captivating their fans with every new album they've conjured up. Now, after the success of their award-winning 2021 album ‘Where The Gloom Becomes Sound’, they’re ready to take on the scene once more with their upcoming sixth studio album ‘Sub Rosa In Æternum’. 

Much like their previous albums, ‘Sub Rosa In Æternum’ delves into the depths and experiments with new and old sounds alike, all paired with Johanne Andersson's eerie vocals. The album has the kind of ominous presence you'd expect from old school horror movies, and even the album's cover, though stylistically simple, is effective in giving fans a taste of what awaits them beyond, stepping into the psychedelic art deco world of horror that is ‘Sub Rosa In Æternum’

Opening this macabre journey is ‘The Unrelenting Choir’, a short but ominous opening with low, bass heavy instrumentals reminiscent of what you would find among British goth rock and its quintessential sound. After this brief but effective opener we are led straight into the second track ‘Tainted Skies’ with a seamless transition from the doom and darkness into a catchy 70s riff where you’re transported into the midst of a Hammer horror flick, but instead of looking for escape we found ourselves further sucked into the band's flow as we traverse deeper still.

Not breaking their stride the album continues with the two most classic gothic rock tracks on the album - ‘Saturn Coming Down’, and ‘Hungry Skies’. Both hauntingly beautiful with heavy influence and reminders of other goth rock icons; Sisters of Mercy, both tracks plunge listeners into a shadowy soundscape where melancholy meets melody and had us imagining dancing the night away in an 80s goth club as we are brought to the midway point of the album. 

The second half kicks off in a far more punchy fashion, with ‘Drink the Love of God’ taking you from classic Hammer horror movies to the evocative era of horror movies such as The Lost Boys, this theme prevails right up until the curtain call of the album. We close this journey through the many eras of gothic culture and horror with ‘Poison Pages’, circling back to the dark tone and doomy instrumentals of the beginning, giving the album as a whole a feeling of a never ending cycle a labyrinth of darkness and shadows, enchanting its listener to replay it over and over again. 

Utilising an evocative blend of brooding lyrics and chilling guitar riffs, ‘Sub Rosa In Æternum’ may well be Tribulation's finest project yet - an unmissable and unique dive into the genre as they prove exactly why they are the masters of goth metal. This album draws you into its shadowy clutches and into a world where darkness feels like home sweet home. 

‘Sub Rosa In Æternum’ will be released on November 1st via Century Media Records.

Words: Arcadia Craven

Photos: Tribulation