On Hamartiathe first release without the involvement of guitarist Jonathan Hultén, who left in 2020 Tribulation the path taken since The Children Of The Night, contrary to the choice of title.
This is surprising because Hultén himself published the 2021 Where the Gloom Becomes Sound wrote largely on his own – he was the band’s designated main songwriter.
On Hamartia But this doesn’t make itself felt either stylistically or (and what’s even more important: actually in terms of quality!): carry over four songs or a total of 23 minutes Tribulation the demands and expectations placed on them in Gothic Metal with chubby, snarling Death vocals also with neo-guitarist Joseph Tholl (which, to anticipate it, fits perfectly into the overall structure) not only solidly, but also trump in terms of production technology up, while the compositions hint at being able to leave behind the comfort zone service that has been cultivated in the recent past.
That is mainly due Hemoclysmin which the band moves a little bit to the post-punk, Sisters of Mercy‘esque flair, and builds the ambitious most epic number of the EP on it – with progressive structures and classic touch this is even one of the best songs in the Tribulation-Kanon.
But the two numbers positioned before that don’t do anything wrong either: the title song rocks sinisterly with Gothic legs apart and musty vocals on the highway, boasts great solos and is entertaining fun up to its somewhat unmotivated fade out before the one written by Tholl Axis of the world a bit harder and harsher, the balance between poisonous crispness and melodic tails is even better – including urgently hooking guitar duels.
Only the final Blue Öyster Cult-Cover Vengeance (The Pact) could have really been saved. After all, move Tribulation here with clean vocals in an uncomfortable one Ghost– Fairway… which is known to be never a good idea. As soon as the number picks up speed, things are at least halfway clear – and Hamartia gets with the tailwind of The Damphir as a feeling of rejuvenation after two rather mixed albums, the upgrade between the points in the final rating.
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