The last time, the guardian of the review pipe screwed up and the RMR crew finally covered Tribunal‘s 2023 debut with some delay the following year. A ‘faux pas’ that won’t bear repeating yet again. The RMR crew found the Quality ov Doom to be pretty outstanding and compelling for a simple starter package. Material that would have landed on the top 10 with a fair degree of certainty.
So, luckily, the band’s somewhat unwieldily named new piece In Penitence and Ruin reaches our dark shores somewhat early in 2025. Time enough to let its desperate deliberations sink in and blossom darkly. Thus, let’s descend into the – and I quote – “…solemn abyss of woe.” Ready? Jump!
The moment you step into the tear-drenched world of In Penitence and Ruin, this feels like being thrown into a reasonably potent mix of the Peaceville Three.1 Albeit, the Peaceville influence seems to be considerably less intense this time. Instead, you’ll find a new-found and distinct gothic influence grafted on top of the production. In a sense, this exquisite load of misery and tribulation seriously moved towards a mix somewhere in between Candlemass and – for sure – Draconian. A much more traditional style of doom than the aforementioned influences.
Incarnadine2 – the first track – rolls right in with mournful cello sounds at an almost funeral pace. A measured, slow-motion thunderclap painted in many shades of ominous crimson. And already, you get an inkling of one Soren Mourne in fine form and Etienne Flinn trying to get to a perfect wistful version of Death Doom driven Beauty and the Beast performances. A tendency that remains consistent throughout the record (…And the Thorn-Choked Flowers Grow, for instance). The halting cello and other miscellaneous strings artfully cool this funeralistic atmosphere down to below zero.
And while no particular change in style stands out right away, a more profound proficiency in sound and execution makes its appearance. Sure enough, Tribunal here morphed from an entrenched duo aided by a bunch of guest musicians into a full-fledged five-piece band. And as is often the case, the uptick in quality is pretty outstanding. In Penitence now often sports that rough-hewn grinding style the RMR crew found some time ago in Felled‘s melancholic musings. A sandpaper-like feeling that risks grinding you down to pvre agony and abject misery.
The record truly gets going with the first three tracks – Incarnadine, A Wound Unhealing, and the juicy Angel of Mercy. Some sort of a measured hurricane slowed down to meet the sadboi occasion on the menu. But there is a downside to this as well. These style choices saddle In Penitence and Ruin with a certain top-heaviness. One of the negative strikes against the overall pretty neat quality on this record. Luckily, the tracklist is sprinkled with outstanding material here and there. Such as The Penitent with its harmonious and polyphonic techniques or the aforementioned …And the Thorn-Choked Flowers Grow with its gritty growls and outstanding melodics.
Ultimately, though, In Penitence and Ruin appears to follow the style directions already outlined by The Weight of Remembrance. Apart from a much more pronounced focus on traditional doom and away from Paradise Lost-ish Doom Death Metal, Tribunal stayed its course and continued with known values. And that is a fine strategy to follow. There is a lot of credence in a band not going overboard for their sophomore album. This black rock out there in the wide wastes of this metallic ocean that bands often shipwreck on.
In contrast, In Penitence here morphed into a proficient, reasonably gothic, and often truly baroque piece of doom ‘n’ gloom. A performance full of well-known stereotypes, true. But also one resulting in well-chiseled pain and anguish difficult to match for the rest of 2025. And let’s not forget, this is Tribunal‘s second record only. If they continue in that vein, I truly wonder where they will end up in the future.
Ed’s note: More doom? Try this, when nothing else remains. And thunderous congrats, the record made it onto our 2025 Top 10 Records list.
Record Rating: 8/10 | Label: 20 Buck Spin | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 18 April 2025