EP Review: Hamartia by Tribulation (Century Media Records)

Swedish metal masters Tribulation return with a new EP titled Hamartia due for release on the 7th April via Century Media.

Forged amid the grubby depths of the Swedish death metal scene, Tribulation have always been the shadowy outlaws of the underground. From their vicious early works, to the all-conquering, blackened rock ‘n’ roll of 2015’s widely praised The Children Of The Night, the Swedes mastery of macabre song writing and the unsettling iconography of bucolic horror set them apart from the conformist hordes. In 2020, the band released their fifth full-length album, Where The Gloom Becomes Sound: their most diverse and dynamic work to date, and tangible proof that Tribulation were still evolving.

Fast forward to the present day and the band are poised to begin a new chapter in their sinister story. With new guitarist Joseph Tholl replacing the departing Jonathan Hultén, Tribulation’s song writing powers have undergone a vigorous rejuvenation, which in turn has led to the creation of a new EP, Hamartia. A riotous encapsulation of everything that diehard fans want from the Swedish crew, but somehow sharper, darker and laced with venom, the new songs showcase a band in a robust state of health.

Hamartia was recorded in Stockholm with Robert Pehrsson at Studio Humbucker as well as Linus Björklund at Studio Ryssviken, before being crafted in mix by Tom Dalgety in the UK and then returning to Stockholm for mastering by Magnus Lindberg at Redmount Studios.

Tribulation are Johannes Andersson on vocals and bass, Adam Zaars and Joseph Tholl on guitars and Oscar Leander on drums.

Speaking about the new release, guitarist Adam Zaars states:

“Hamartia is a Greek word, from the Hellenistic times, so it’s from the language the early Bibles were written in. Literally it means ‘to miss the mark’, but in the New Testament and in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, it means ‘sin’. It doesn’t only mean ‘sin’… and that’s how my curiosity was aroused. The lyrics of the song Hamartia are based on various interpretations of the word and various changes that the word ‘sin’ has undergone. In the Old Testament, the earliest text, it doesn’t necessarily mean the same as it did to people writing the New Testament over a millennium later. The lyrics to the song revolve around that.”

“These songs are not like a linear story, and that’s fairly in line with what we’ve done before. Axis Mundi’ comes more from a fantasy world, as Joseph described it to me, where there’s some kind of secret society controlling everything. ‘Hemoclysm’ is mainly about the 20^th century, but it’s also about the history of ideas and ideology and stuff like that. It’s about how weird and horrible, and naïve in many ways, the 20^th century was in general. A lot of good came out of modernism, for instance, but it also laid the groundwork for communism, for fascism and for all of that. So that’s a new lyrical flavour at least, for the Tribulation palate.”

Tribulation continue to show why they are at the top of the leader board with Hamartia. From the opening notes of the title track, it’s captivating. Full of rocking rhythms and a catchy as hell flow but coupled with plenty of aggression and snarl. The vocals are harsh and intense as the guitars blaze out catchy rhythms and soaring lines. The drums and bass smash out some super catchy beats almost giving a rock flavour to things, only subdued by the tone and vocals.. It’s energetic, very easy to get in to and has an absolute corker of a solo. A strong start that continues into Axis Mundi.

We start off with a cascade of falling drums and guitar line that feels a little like mild power metal before the song transforms into a sombre, gothic metal cracker. The verses are special, dropping away into a subtle drum beat, a quick delivered vocal line with each sentence suffixed by a little guitar hook. The chorus is simple but effective but those guitars return as we hit back into the verse – it is special. Then it hits, the guitar solo – something Tribulation are really owning these days. It isn’t just that there is a solo, it isn’t just that it is really good or long – it is just how perfectly suited to the emption of the song that amazes. This is really good.

Hamartia’s new Tribulation songs end with Hemoclysm. There is a cover to close out but this is the last new track sadly. Hemoclysm is the longest track, just on the EP at near 7 minutes. We start off with a melancholic and subdued melody before turning towards a wonderful doom instrumental section with catchy drums, sticky bass lines and real feeling. An explosion into the darker side of the band comes as the vocals come in, venomous and snarling. This song, these songs, are structured so wonderfully that they literally flow like water. The darker, witchy doom feel to this song is amplified further with a descending piano melody that occasionally appears to add a creepy vibe and of course another wicked solo.

So we close Hamartia with a Tribulation styled cover of Blue Oyster Cult’s Vengeance (The Pact) which comes originally from the band’s Martin Birch-produced, 1981 album Fire Of Unknown Origin. I don’t know the original well, but do know Blue Oyster Cult and while this cover certainly sees Tribulation add their own touch. More subdued but still snarled vocals, an overall doomier production – you can also clearly hear Tribulation stretching themselves to stay as true to the original as possible. An altogether more proggy style and plenty of cleans and harmonies make their way in. Its very cool to hear a band stretching themselves in this way and it works. It is a cracking cover, and, if you don’t know it, it works as a cracking Tribulation B Side. Win win.

Hamartia is an exciting and refreshing release without a single misstep on it. The band sound charged and ready to go with masterful song structures, phenomenal solos and music that bleeds genres wonderfully to create a truly captivating sound. From the first notes, to the last and that includes the cover track, I found myself fully embedded. Almost hypnotised and loving every minute. The sort of songs that you have you skip back a bit to rehear, instantly restart the EP when it finishes and make you excited for what comes next. Excellent release that you absolutely must check out and then play repeatedly when it drops on the 7th of April.

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