Austria has had some pretty decent black metal acts come out of the woodwork in the past...a few of which we've even reviewed here on this site. That being said, today's band isn't just your everyday blackened outfit; there is something to their music that makes them stand out in a way. Harakiri For The Sky is an extreme metal band coming out of Vienna/Salzburg, Austria that creates its own brand of black metal through a blend of post-metal and incorporates a lot of ambiance as well. Started in 2011, the European act released a total of four albums, with today's full length being their fourth and latest addition.
The newest album from Harakiri For The Sky, simply titled as Arson, is now officially out in full force under the Germany-based Art of Propaganda record label. A modern post-black metal release clocking in at well over an hour in length, each track found on Arson is a fleshed out composition that comes out around ten minutes in length. The album contains an eclectic variety of sounds and instruments, including your usual guitars, acoustic, piano, percussion and more. Additionally, the themes on here are also fairly interesting, with concepts revolving around real life issues of depression and pain, as well as some fantasy or mythological aspects too.
As mentioned before, Arson has some great lyricism and really stellar vocals to coincide with them. Most of the vocal energy on the album is of the harsh, almost fry scream variety, although kind of distinct from actual black metal vocals. The instrumentals are so varied and transition so well in the song structures that they honestly become catchy a lot of the times. The drawn out track lengths on Arson are thoroughly justified because the songs never get bland or repetitive. The range of tempos is another surprise, such as on "You Are The Scars", which has a long, melodic section consisting of high tremolo picking suddenly turn into a fast paced blastbeat part out of nowhere with a lot of energy thrown in. Overall, this album goes at a steady pace...with some songs starting out a bit softer than others. "Heroin Waltz" and the opening track are two of those examples with varying soft and heavy parts. The production quality gives the album tons of support as well, and you have to love those melodies. In all, I would say that "The Graves We've Dug" and "Stillborn" are my personal faves on Arson due to their song structures, ambiance, and overall vibes.
Nothing really much to say here, as I thoroughly enjoy this album front to back and would gladly listen again in a heartbeat.
To conclude, what more can I really discuss about Arson by Harakiri For The Sky that I haven't already talked about in this review. It is enjoyable, the innovation is certainly there to a degree, the vocals and instrumentals are pretty much flawless, and the album managed to keep me entertained and at the edge of my seat for the entirety of its long run. At this point, I would certainly say that I am a fan of these lads and I will be looking forward to what they have planned for the future.
Fave Tracks: "The Graves We've Dug", "Stillborn"
For Fans Of: post-metal, black metal and post-black metal
**This album is available now on Art of Propaganda's Bandcamp and at Napalm Records!**
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-Review by: Dave Raffy
Musician, reviewer, fan & promoter
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