Date Released: 26/08/2016
Label: Profound Lore
If
you love really emotionally charged hard hitting music, give this record a
listen. I had very high expectations of this record, and those expectations
were met and then exceeded.
“For This We Fought the Battle
1). Despair
Is a Siren,
2). Wound of the Warden,
3). Black Majesty,
4). Il Cappio,
5). Killing Rapture,
6). Troubled Cells
2). Wound of the Warden,
3). Black Majesty,
4). Il Cappio,
5). Killing Rapture,
6). Troubled Cells
The Review:
If
you've been paying much attention to the underground doom/sludge metal scene in
the last few years, then you've probably heard of SubRosa, an unusual quintet from
Salt Lake City, Utah, boasting two highly skilled violinists (in addition to
the more traditional guitar, bass, and drums). After toiling in relative
obscurity for several years, 2011's “No Help for the Mighty Ones”, the
band's second full length, gained some notice. The next record, “More
Constant Than the Gods” then really catapulted them onto the
international metal stage. With its further refined atmospheres, arrangements,
and ancient feel, the record garnered them more of the recognition they
deserved.
I
have to admit, given that I loved “More Constant Than the Gods”, I
was very curious how they'd follow up such a tremendous record. In “For
This We Fought the Battle
The
album opens with "Despair Is a
Siren," which some fans who caught them on their recent tour with Cult of Luna
may recognize. The song, and with it the album, begins with an almost innocent,
serene quiet, before gradually getting more ominous until a full-on cataclysmic
crescendo. The rage and, indeed, despair of the vocal line sets the tone for
the rest of the album. Like the second song, it's quite lengthy, occupying the
entirety of the first side (side "Rose")
of the record.
Up
next (on side "Lily of the Valley")
is "The Wound of the Warden,"
a song that's been released early for a peek at what the album sounds like.
Immediately the band settle into a mid tempo groove from which they expand
further sonic textures, including some very nice vocal harmonies, before
gradually getting heavier, off-setting bassist Levi Hanna's screamed backing
vocals with guitarist Rebecca Vernon's clean main vocal line, using different
lyrics in an almost Neurosis-esque manner. A clean prelude of
harmonized singing between Rebecca and violinist Kim Pack precedes the
denouement, with Rebecca adopting the defiant, accusatory tone to her vocals I
loved so much on the last album's track "Fat of the Ram." Where that song got more hopeful, however,
this one only gets darker. Given the lyrical content here, I believe the
march-like feel at the end is quite intentional.
"Black Majesty," the first song on
the side "Henbane" of the
double-LP, begins with a radical departure. Accompanied by no rhythm, only
violin soundscapes, Rebecca sings what sounds like a sweet, carefree melody,
which, jarringly, contains the darkest lyrical content yet on either this
record or anything I've heard from this band. The effect is a very unsettling,
creepy sense of mental/emotional dissonance. Naturally, it's followed by a
pounding, heavy rhythm, which soon enough is broken up by another quiet segment
of cheerful duet singing between Kim and Rebecca, preceding an even angrier and
slower crescendo. The use of light textures with dark lyrics, interspersed with
some of the heaviest music so far on this album creates some real mood
whiplash. This is not easy listening music, as the entire song's lyrics are
phrased in the form of questions. Very uncomfortable ones.
Following
this emotionally demanding track is "Il
Cappio," an interlude much like "House Carpenter," on “No Help for the Mighty Ones”,
this one consisting entirely of violinist Sarah Pendleton's voice accompanied
by lyre. It's enough of a musical contrast for the listener to breathe, but not
to escape the dark theme of this record.
"Killing Rapture" opens the final
side ("Wormwood") of the
album. Over the top of a slow, plodding, monumental riff, Rebecca's voice soars
with more word painting, a serene, nearly emotionless tone matching the subject
of the lyrics. A sudden shift in tempo breaks the heavy serenity with a sense
of frantic panic, as if of a mind only suddenly coming to realize the hell it
is trapped in and struggling to get out. However, we return to the previous
tempo, as if the rebellion in the bridge section has been coldly crushed. On
the album closer, "Troubled Cells,"
there is a saxophone solo in the intro, giving a feel like walking through a
dark city downtown on a sombre, rainy night. Combined with the violin and
guitar soundscapes, it's a very eerie noir atmosphere. This precedes the main
lyrical content, which is a tragic response to the rest of the album, with a
truly moving multi-vocal/lyric climax.
The
version I reviewed is the vinyl double LP version. Very nice artwork, as usual.
Each of the sides has names, separate from track names, as mentioned earlier,
and each also has its own individualized artwork.
When
I received this album, I did the whole reading along to the lyrics thing and the
experience left me shaken. “For This We Fought the Battle
I
may not be the most objective person to do a review, given that I already
really like this band, but I had very high expectations, and those expectations
were met and then exceeded. The songs are individually great, but the effect of
the whole album, played all the way through, is greater. If you love really
emotionally charged hard hitting music, give this record a listen. If you're
looking for feel-good party jams, maybe look elsewhere (still listen to this
record though). Earlier I've described SubRosa as sounding like some lost, ancient
civilization... but on this record I suspect that said lost civilization is our
own.
“For
This We Fought the Battle
