Label : Century Media
Release : 1-11-2024
Stockholm-based Tribulation once again aims for greater heights and stranger things on their new album, Sub Rosa in Æternum. While the previous album was cast in Italian marble under a wolf moon, this time Tribulation conjures up new beasts: part psychological horror of Italian cinema, part lean British goth and part Art Deco opulence, Sub Rosa in Æternum is a burning torch on a cloudy, skeletal sky. Of course, no Tribulation album is complete without indirect references to fangs, blood, women and decadence in the style of the Roman Empire: Tholl's fascination with water and oceans shows up in "Hungry Waters," as does Zaars' infatuation with religion, cults and mystery on "Saturn Coming Down." Andersson mixes in the action by paraphrasing American poet Emily Dickinson and quoting both Umberto Eco/Jean-Jacques Annaud's book/movie The Name of the Rose and "Poison Pages," respectively; there is a mystery in "Murder in Red." Tribulation went to Ingrid Studios (Ghost, Viagra Boys) in Stockholm with engineer Ola Ersfjord (Lucifer, Primordial) and British producer Tom Dalgety (Siouxsie Sioux, Ghost), and the group put Sub Rosa In Æternum on proverbial tape. The sound that developed during the writing and pre-production stages took on a nastier attack ("Tainted Sky," "Time & the Vivid Ore"), a more significant storyline ("Reaping Song," "Poison Pages") and eerie gothic tones ("Hungry Waters," "Drink the Love of God"). With the return of mastering ace Magnus Lindberg (The Hellacopters, Dool), he guaranteed Tribulation a natural, almost bright boost to close out the chapter of their sixth album. As Tribulation approaches the bloody and lush gothic phase with Sub Rosa In Æternum, the Swedes also celebrate their 20th anniversary and bravely step into their most inspired era yet.
