- Posted By: Dark Emperor
- Comments: 0
|
This Austrian outfit has been constantly growing into their melancholic sound with each release, and so has the fan base and reach. With “Scorched Earth”, Harakiri for the Sky reaches a new plateau as their sound is polished, their delivery is impeccable and they still manage to throw in a few curve balls to longtime fans. If you are looking for polished Post Black Metal, this is certainly one of the best releases of 2025. Opening with “Heal Me”, we get a very playful melodic mixture of synths, crunchy riffs, and a solid duet between Tim Yatras and J.J. The band’s melancholic capabilities quickly take center stage with the lush “Keep Me Longing” and its nearly 11-minute duration. We particularly enjoyed the powerful riffing that creates very crafty melodies alongside that sense of restlessness that the band always creates with their music. Another perfect example of this is the epic “Without You I’m Just A Sad Song”, another long piece that is full of tempo changes and very cathartic moments, particularly the clean passages. Moving into dreamier territories, “No Graves But The Sea” has to be our favorite track thanks to its lush opening and engaging distorted guitars. With a very catchy hook and intense drumming, this track nicely balances the band’s aggressive and unrestrained side with their more elegant and polished slower sections. One of the tracks that shows the band trying new things and creating more dynamic music is “With Autumn I’ll Surrender” and its dreamy atmospherics, definitely a very engaging track. Closing with the brilliant “Too Late For Goodbyes” with Serena Cherry of Svalbard as a guest, the release leaves on a high note. Unless you have one of the special editions, which feature a cover of Radiohead’s “Street Spirit” with P.G. of Groza, and the solemn “Elysian Fields”. It is quite exciting to see how the band has been slowly evolving into a more dynamic and engaging outfit, that still features their signature sound, but has managed to find ways to keep things fresh and on the same vibe. |
Band: Harakiri for the Sky | Album: Scorched Earth |
Label: AOP Records |
Release: January 24th, 2025 |
Homepage | |
Genre: Post Black Metal |
Country: Austria |
Rating: 96/100 |