Tragedy- Darker Days Ahead LP review

Tragedy- Darker Days Ahead LP review

Not quite as fast as the older material, but this album is a demonstrably positive evolution of the band- that’s how one releases four albums over the course of thirteen years while staying fresh.  This album is FAR from stale- it’s heavier than ever and has gotten much more complex, but still retains a similar level of energy as their previous work.  Melodic, almost acoustic interludes, long intros, and of course, heavy hitting hardcore-influenced crust to hold all the parts of the songs together.  The album does not particularly have a standout track- it is steadily hovering between good and great throughout the entire record.

The vocals are near-English accent sounding shouts of furious, wrathful anger and despair, comparable to previous material, but seeming somewhat deeper.  The guitars are all over the place, but in a great way- they go from soft, quiet pieces to melodic leads and interludes to extremely heavy, crushing riffs and verse pieces.  The guitars are the accent of the moody tempo- they are the center stage of the music, so to speak.  It is the drums that set the background tone, where even the slowest beat can be the most powerful- “The Grim Infinite” is the best example of this menacing background sound.  The bass is both a complimentary instrument to the guitars and an instrument in its own right.  Without the punishing bass lines, the drums would not be so… beautifully hopeless and depressing.  Holy fuck, is this record heavy and heinous, dark and depressing.  Imagine what it’s like to be run over by a tank.

I feel as though this record puts me in a state of mind I need to be in- crawling along slowly, barely holding onto life, and weighed down by burden, yet despite that, movement never ceases, never yields, never capitulates.  While the first record may be more indicative of the manic moments and brief flashes of insanity I suffer, this record is the rest of life, the endless scaling of a mountain cliff, climbing with the fear of heights fully ablaze in one’s mind.

This is not a fast record by any means, but there is just as much energy to be found here as in any lightning speed punk record.  This is well worth jamming more than a few times.  “No Cemeteries Here”, “The Grim Infinite”, and “Power Fades” are the three best tracks on the record, though not greatly more so than the others.  It’s almost obligatory to listen to this front to back, and not as individual songs- it’s better that way anyway.

-Aunty Social