Harakiri For The Sky - Scorched Earth

Post Black Metal is always a hard genre to nail right. Sounds too melancholic and depressing and it feels like Ghost Bath. Try to be too shoegaze tinged and it sounds like Alcest or Deafheaven. The biggest struggle is the vocals because they usually pattern after the harsh ‘kvlt’ pained sound to evoke more emotion, much like how a band like Xasthur might do, and then there’s the more shouty type that sounds like Dodheismgard with a bit of a snarl to it. The instrumental parts can be intriguing, but everyone complains about the vocals once they hit, mostly because for a genre that is known to be rather dark and hateful as the alleged stereotype goes, when it comes to ‘beautifying’ it or changing it from the original intent, it still can get a bad rap. Thankfully, there are bands out there like Austria’s Harakiri For The Sky that stand firm amongst any criticism and after 14 years of existence still create beautiful yet harsh music that doesn’t betray the core sound of Black Metal. Sure in the early years the duo that follows the Black Metal tradition of being mysterious with monikers and abbreviations like M.S. who does all the instruments and J.J. who does the vocals sounded a bit more abrasive and raw like many in the genre would expect, but over time they’ve gotten better put out epic albums like “Trauma” and re-recorded a few early ones like their self titled to show their progress, so it has been a bit but album number eight “Scorched Earth” still pushes boundaries and makes listeners realize how interesting the Post Black Metal genre can be.

Compared to their last ‘new release’ “Maere,” the band has reined in their epic touches a bit by abandoning the double album approach (it was just a bit too long for most to enjoy fully), but still present over and hour of epic tracks that have- dare say- bounce to it. While M.S. has been known for making dramatic instrumental work that is slightly depressive and touches anywhere from Agalloch to Opeth with sweeping passages, clean keyboard/ piano, and crescendos that build suspense while vocalist J.J. howls and shouts in a rather non traditional Black Metal form, the duo mostly sticks to a style that would be similar to that of Ghost Bath that is depressive, beautifully, but stays in the Goth pool a bit too long. From the opening of “Scorched…” though one can tell the vibe is different, though the album art still screams Agalloch and the song titles tearjerkers like My Dying Bride. It has more pomp, and more of an uplifting spirit to it, from the guitars passages to the backing keyboards. The atmosphere is grandiose such as on the opening ‘Heal Me’ but the production is clean enough that everything can be heard and nothing sounds like it is fighting for space. The biggest shift in sound is the keyboards as they come in they almost sound like Harakiri is leaning almost into Melodeath territory taking notes from Dark Tranquility from an album like “Damage Done” when they were less ‘electronified’ and it works wonderfully for them. Again, the emotion is not diminished nor the pace sent into blistering speed for pit starters, but like Fires In the Distance it is rather comfortable, headbang nodding speed and enjoyable to hear.

The real change shows with a track like ‘Without You I’m Just a Sad Song’ for its opening keyboard work and then the riffs jumping in. Touching a bit on the likes of Saor but still feeling a lot like Harakiri meets Dark Tranquility, the energy is definitely more upbeat despite depressing lyrics and title, and it just has that ‘bounce.’ Even the vocals sound layered as one can hear the cleans swim beneath the harsher shouts, and while they are subtle, they add extra atmosphere before the guitar bridge which again plays the uplifting melancholy that fans have come to love from Harakiri before jumping back into sharper tremolo tones. ‘With Autumn I’ll Stay’ is almost Amorphis tinged in the melodies and gets the body moving from the side to side with the rousing guitar sound and drumming especially, and while it doesn’t incite any Folk enticing moshing, it features some of the best energy to get people going if they’ve been standing around too long. The vocals are more harsh then clean here, but the album balances that out later. For those looking for something more Black Metal rooted than Melodeath or Post Metal, ‘Too Late For Goodbyes’ is back to usual melancholic form for Harakiri as it features anguished shouts, acoustic passages, and more of a loaded Agalloch sound that isn’t so hypnotic or repetitive, but still features those memorable passages.

Covers are a dangerous game to close on, but “Scorched Earth” plays its ace right with a surprise as the band shifts completely. Harsh vocals are finally shed for progressive cleans and yet still with the instrument work it still feels like Harakiri is still at the helm, though more grungier and dramatic than ever. The vocals are the star here as they are layered in different tones from baritone to mournful and really showcase as side of J.J. that hasn’t really been heard in depth on past releases, but despite it being a cover he makes it his own as best he can with help from M.S. It is a bit different than what fans might be used to, but they will appreciate it very much for those who like the more ‘post’ side of the genre. Overall, “Scorched Earth” is a new milestone for Harakiri For The Sky and a great ‘go to’ album for newcomers. It has the epic lengths but nothing that will put one to sleep. It has the melancholy to make one feel the emotion and also the harshness as well to stir a bit of the rage. One feels the music in their heart, and it is excellent. Those who are expecting a raging symphony like that of Emperor might be a little averse, but those who like a bit of experimentalism that isn’t too all over the place like that of Dodheismgard will appreciate this record very much. A stand out Black Metal offering for 2025 that shows the genre isn’t always about the devil or trudges through nature, but the good and bad of the human spirit and the strength to create music that reflects it. Those who appreciate Saor, Panopticon, Shylmagoghnar and others like Primordial will enjoy the multi-angle approach to Black Metal that isn’t all distortion, razor sharp riffs, and corpsepaint to get the point across.  

5 / 5 STARS