_ _______ _ ...:... _ _______ _ ___ / .:::::::::::. \ ___ | / .. (:::::::::::::) .. \ | | . .:::::.`:::::::::::'.:::::. . | | .::.. `:::.::':::`::.:::' ..::. | _ _______ | .::' ::::':::::`:::: `::. | _______ _ \\ | | :: `' ::':`:: `' :: | | // \ | | `:. .::' . `::. .:' | | / . | | .::::::..::::' ... `::::..::::::. | | . | | `:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::' | | .... | | `:' `::::: :: :: :::::' `:' | | .... | ' | : `. ': :: :: :: :: :` .' : | ` | |.....: . .......: :: :: :: :: : ...... . : ....| . ...................: : :: :: :: :: : : ................. . _____________:_____________ _____________:_____________ _ ___\` __ /_\` _______/_\` __ _/_\` /___ _ // __ / (/ ___/ (/ _ (/ /_______/\ _ _ /_________ ___________ ______/\ _ ______________/\__/_ _ \\\\\_________\__/\_________\__/\_____/\_____/\____________/ /// - -\-\-----------\__/----------\__/-------\_____/---------------/-/- - - -------------------: : :. ..:: :: . :------------------ - : : :......: :: :` ': :: : .....: : : ___ _ | | : ` ' : | | _ ___ _\---------- : | -------- : B E R C : -------- | : ----------/_ /_\ . : . ..:.. ..:.. . : . /_\ /// . . : : . . \\\ /: :\ /:: Artist :: Harakiri for the Sky ::\ :: Album :: Scorched Earth :: :: Year :: 2025 :: :: __ _ _ __ :: -:--\\-----------------------------------------------------------------//--:- :: \ / :: :: . Genre :: Black Metal Source :: CD . :: :: Label :: AOP Records R.date :: 2025-08-23 :: _::__ Cat.nr. :: AOP127 S.date :: 2025-01-24 __::_ ::// \\:: ::/---------------------------------------------------------------------\:: :: :: /: Encoder :: LAME 3.100 -V0 :\ ..: Bitrate :: avg. 273kbps :.. . Quality :: 44.1 kHz/Joint Stereo . . Size :: 127.12MB . . . __ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __ .\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////. +/ -\------- | | ----\ tracklist /---- | | -------/- \+ /: . : : . :\ /:: ::\ :: 1. Heal Me 7:36 :: :: 2. Keep Me Longing 10:40 :: :: 3. Without You I'm Just a Sad Song 10:03 :: :: 4. No Graves but the Sea 8:01 :: :: 5. With Autumn I'll Surrender 8:38 :: :: 6. I Was Just Another Promise You Couldn't Keep 9:01 :: :: 7. Too Late For Goodbyes 7:53 :: :: :: :: :: :: ------- :: .. >> 61:52 .. __ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __ .\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////. +/ -\------- | | ----\ release notes /---- | | -------/- \+ /: . : : . :\ /:: ::\ :: :: :: The despairing musings of a fatalistic mind could be the :: :: description of any work penned within the depressive end of the :: :: black metal spectrum, but this summation proves especially true :: :: for the post-black variant resting at its modern fringe. Though :: :: a relatively novel stylistic niche, attributing modernity to :: :: post-black metal is more of an extreme juxtaposition given its :: :: highly organic and primitive nature, to speak nothing for the :: :: lyrical critique of modern society that often accompanies it. :: :: Since the early 2010s, Austrian-born two man project Harakiri :: :: For The Sky have proven masters of this highly nuanced craft, :: :: marrying a varied mixture of melodic post-rock, grunge, :: :: hardcore and atmospheric black metal influences into a :: :: songwriting template that shuns conventional notions of brevity :: :: and structure, yet manages to be highly accessible and :: :: melodically consonant by extreme metal standards. :: :: :: :: Following a predictable rhythm in the studio of an LP release :: :: every 2 years, culminating in 5 highly involved sonic :: :: anthologies in under a decade, a break in output for about 4 :: :: years has elapsed prior to the unveiling of their 6th and most :: :: polished album in Scorched Earth. Very much a product of the :: :: time that it was conceived in, this 67 minute epic excursion :: :: into the realm of auditory cynicism delves head first into a :: :: world divided, moving further from a state of peace and toward :: :: one of brokenness. Built off the prowess and innovative :: :: craftsmanship of multi-instrumentalist Mattias Sollak (known by :: :: his initials M.S.) and the mostly haggard and jagged shouts and :: :: shrieks of vocalist Michael Kogler (aka J.J.), it is a :: :: collection of extended compositions that effectively embody the :: :: isolation and tumult that typified the lockdown era of the :: :: early 2020s and the political chaos that has since arisen in :: :: its wake. :: :: :: :: Like a flowing stream amid a landscape shrouded in mist that :: :: hits a larger body with a sudden explosion of force, this album :: :: is a continual exercise in crescendo where the beginning is :: :: often a serene atmospheric precursor to a coming storm. The :: :: opening chapter of this musical story ôHeal Meö enters with a :: :: soothing melodic piano drone and a gradual swelling of :: :: fuzz-steeped guitars that lands with a booming, down-tempo :: :: post-rock thud that eventually finds weaves its way into a :: :: blasting fury of raw fury. In essence, this is black metal :: :: removed from its normally dank or frigid element and brought :: :: into an equally bleak, yet warmer setting. Other entries like :: :: the massive 10 minute slough ôKeep Me Longingö and ôToo Late :: :: For Goodbyesö enter similarly chaotic territory, though the :: :: former dwells a bit more on its serene, piano-driven :: :: introduction and presents a more elaborate melodic refrain, :: :: while the latter dispenses with an atmospheric prelude and goes :: :: even harder into the blackened and blasting extreme while also :: :: feeling the most overtly sorrowful. :: :: :: :: Continuing to adhere to a sound marked by heavy stylistic :: :: eclecticism, M.S.Æs songwriting arsenal proves more and more :: :: intricate the closer to the center the album progresses. The :: :: extended anthem ôWithout You IÆm Just A Sad Songö vacillates :: :: between being a lullaby and a hurricane of pure agony, and :: :: frequently blurs the lines between this projectÆs post-rock :: :: proclivities and a Gothenburg-inspired melodic death metal :: :: sound. ôNo Graves But The Seaö often mimics the atmosphere of a :: :: lost ship adrift at the oceanÆs center, and also presents :: :: MattiasÆ technical chops at the guitar through a series of :: :: intricate rhythmic riffs and melodic motives. ôWith Autumn I :: :: Surrenderö stirs the stylistic pot in an almost gothic :: :: direction while still maintaining a blackened post-metal vibe, :: :: and the punchy drive of ôI Was Just Another Promise You :: :: CouldnÆt Keepö finds the instrumentation leaning heavy into a :: :: modern hardcore sound with J.J. ushering in a correspondingly :: :: gritty yet occasionally clean cut vocal delivery. :: :: :: :: Amid a highly consistent and expansive catalog, Scorched Earth :: :: is an album that both maintains and expands upon Harakiri For :: :: The SkyÆs distinctive brand of depressive and stylistically :: :: rich post-black metal, and is also an appropriate album to kick :: :: off the mid-point of the 2020s. It comes with a :: :: reinterpretation of RadioheadÆs ôStreet Spirit (Fade Out)ö as :: :: an addendum that further reveals a band bent on merging a :: :: melancholy outlook with just about every subgenre of rock under :: :: the sun, not to mention showcases KoglerÆs voice in a very :: :: different light. But even when putting aside the innovative nod :: :: to one of the biggest household names in 90s alternative rock, :: :: this is an album that effectively walks a line between the :: :: esoteric world of atmospheric black metal where extreme music :: :: becomes more of a mystical and meditative experience and one :: :: that isnÆt far removed from where rock radio was 30 years ago. :: :: In a world that seems hell bent on committing seppuku minus the :: :: element of honor, Harakiri For The Sky has managed to compose a :: :: fitting soundtrack. :: :: :: :: . _ _ . :: \: :. \\ ___________ . ___________ // .: :/ __\____ :: ____ ___\ _ / BERC : 2025 \ _ /___ ____ :: ____/__ \\\f3! :: \\\ __ _/_________i_________\ /___/ /// :: cRO/// \ :: :\-\___________\_ ___ / _ _/___________/-/: :: / :: | . . _ _ _/ __/ . \_ _ _ . . | :: : :::::::: | | \\\\\/ _______\____|\ \///// | | :::::::: : :: | | -\-\/____/-------------\____\/-/- | | :: :: | | \ :|: / | | :: : : | . ` ::: ' . | : : . . | : ::: : | . . | :::....:::....::: | : ::::::::::::::::: : . :::''``:::''``::: . : ::: : . ::: . .:. :