Harakiri For The Sky – Scorched Earth
Release Date: 24th January 2025
Label: AOP Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Post-Black Metal, Progressive Metal, Alternative Metal, Post-Rock.
FFO: Alcest, Groza, Shores of Null, Deafheaven, Allende, Enslaved, Karg, Agalloch.
Review By: Rick Farley
For those of you unfamiliar with this exceptional band, Harakiri For The Sky is an expressive, mournful combination of post-black metal, melodic post-rock and modern hardcore with deeply layered textures of emotional impact. Consisting solely of two members, multi-instrumentalist M.S. and vocalist/lyricist J.J. Harakiri For The Sky has gained recognition and high praise for pushing musical boundaries with exceptional songwriting that balances beauty, melancholy and brutality while still shining with light and hope amongst the despondent atmospheres. To say this band is emotionally charged is a massive understatement.
Formed in 2011, this Austrian duo has explored themes of existential despair, inner turmoil, and the human condition. Having already released five genre pioneering albums over the course of their career, Scorched Earth marks the bands sixth full length album being released January 24th, 2025, via AOP Records and stands as a snapshot of the world we’re currently living in, one that’s tragically broken. The band stays true to their initial path on Scorched Earth of post-black metal, while evolving enough to further their vision and concluding their story thus far.
The opening track Heal Me (feat. Austere) is about as good of a first impression as one can get for a song. A soft piano interlude weeps while a swelling wall of distortion builds in the background. Unmuted, groove laden guitars and slower paced drums erupts in while the melodies continue in the form of ardent tremolo picking. It’s a moody, but beautiful transition that sets up the song’s fiery tone. Furious blasting and blackened guitars rev up the track’s intensity. J.J.’s pained, screamed vocals, almost similar to a hardcore style cadence, are unique and could take a few spins to get used to if you’re a newer fan. I assure you, though, once you do, his vocals become just as important as the music itself. There’s a potent amount of raw emotion, which is fragile as well as harsh. Powerful yet desperate, it all just works. As with most songs from this band, the track carries on for over seven minutes, never feeling bloated. Some have criticised the band in the past for such long songs and long records, but personally, as with anything, perspective will prevail. You either put the time in or you don’t. Either way, you can’t deny the immense talent and skilled songwriting. This track alone is a rewarding journey through what becomes a tranquil dive in the depths of sorrow.
The haunting With Autumn I’ll Surrender has electronic and progressive undertones that remind me a little of the new Katatonia record. Definitely not a bad thing, just an observation. The punchy, tribalistic drums, with a slinky metallic bassline driving forward and playful melodies that dance amongst the tense atmosphere, is magnificent. There’s a small amount of soulful warmth that’s trying to ignite through the frigid, melodic atmosphere. The production on this record per usual is pristine, letting the clarity of all the intricate weaving really shin through on this track. Vibrant, hopeful and painstakingly heartbreaking all within the same breath.
Scorched Earth’s runtime sits at seven tracks, 61 minutes or nine tracks in the special edition which includes a stunning cover of Street Spirit (Fade Out) by Radiohead featuring Groza. A stormy reinterpretation of a track that’s already great. Harakiri For The Sky amps up the intensity and handles the song with the upmost respect, making it one of the better covers I’ve heard in a very long time.
Scorched Earth touches on just about every emotion you can feel and effortlessly guides the listener through, heaviness, darkness, sorrow, desperation, and cathartic brutality, with an energetic and often depressive atmosphere. The balance of extreme expressions on this record has become somewhat of a soundscape that Harakiri For The Sky has mastered at this point in their career. Enough chit-chat already, you should be immersed in this record by now.
(5 / 5)
