From Hell- Heresy 12" review

From Hell- Heresy 12” review

Imagine if Tragedy has been more influenced by hardcore bands rather than punk bands- this band shares the same evil, despondent, swansong vibe, but it’s heavier and gruffer than Tragedy, not to mention that it has the quality of being somewhat unique.  While it certainly sounds like a few particular bands, it eclipses the boundaries of the sounds set by their influences.

The record starts off with an intro, somewhat melancholic and unraveling in its nature.  The version I received has an audio clip from Richard Kuklinski, known in popular culture as “The Iceman”, about his reflections on life, which adds to the uneasy, creepy, evil vibe.  As the intro ends, the song “Terror” kicks in, slugging its way through the quiet of the night with a brutally rough exterior powered by a small, albeit powerful soft core.  This is a demolition song.  “No Place Like Hell” is next, and even before the song starts, I’m liking it; the title is suggestive of hell being more comfortable than some kind of eternal bliss and happiness, and in many cases, it indeed is (home being the idealistic comfort zone of the mind).  The song does not disappoint; the rough, gruff attitude persists as the gravelly voice of singer Chris briskly rips away any semblance of hope, happiness, and redemption, planting a seed of unhappiness and discomfort to grow into a poisoned flower, never wilting but always inflicting pain.  “Unholy” reminds me of Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat, in that the songs rips with both hands right through your chest, into your heart on its way to your spine, and with every bit of beautiful agony, tears you apart, leaving you a shell of a person, dead inside and unable to recover.  “Crucifix in a Deathhand” is an instrumental with a voiceover telling the story of a man whose soul has withered away to its foundation, a perfect tale for the wailing violins and soft but desperate guitar waves weeping for the protagonist as his tragedy is told.  “Holy War” is another hard hitter, paralyzing in its purity of sound, even if that sound can’t be precisely defined.  “Empty and Hollow” is the final act of this play, a fitting end to this epic, as it is a longer song and wreaks devastation on the mind, pointed and conclusive.

This music is what you hear only in your nightmares and your sadomasochistic dreams.  If you have these visions, you’ll enjoy this quite a bit.  Even if you don’t, this is the darkest of the dark side.  No future, no hope, no happy endings.

-Aunty Social

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