Most people can't handle the devastating beauty that Skullflower has been known for since its inception in 1987. This latest offering, Tribulation, shows Skullflower in mind blowing form, and I mean that in the most literal sense. This record is loud and thick with ambient noise, feedback, and fuzzed out droning that weighs heavy on the listener's mind and soul. It bombards the subconscious and leaves the listener dizzy and the intellect spent. It was difficult for me to get through at first, not because I didn't enjoy it; but rather because Tribulation is a monstrous concoction that took me a while to wrap my head around enough to listen to it. There is a great deal to digest.
Tribulation immediately pierces your conscious with the skrees of feedback which "Lost in the Blackened Gardens of Some Vast Star" marks its presence within the auditory theater. I can almost feel myself squinting. What follows is over nine minutes of what feels like an audible snow-blind. "Black Wind" contains a subtle "melody" underneath the washes of white noise. The intensity of the feedback dips a bit on "Saragossa", or maybe my ears lost the ability to process a frequency during the changing of the track because the sound is less grating. You can almost make out the underpinnings of a guitar lead buried deep beneath the tumult. "Dying Venice" has some crazy noises going on throughout the duration. It sounds like a computer is getting pissed off and yelling at its user or maybe R2-D2 on crack. The album's title track seems to be a mellower affair (but that might be my imagination at this point because I think the record is making me hallucinate). I can hear a method to the madness, as there are definitely coherent sounds that are hidden beneath the washes of feedback.
"Tribulation" is definitely one of the more rewarding tracks to listen to on the album due to its many layers of sound. "Void of Roses" gives off a strong kinship to what Sunn O))) has been known to do, only Skullflower utilizes more of the upper frequencies rather than the lower, sub-bass frequencies. It is also the song that one can most easily recognize the individual instruments being employed. The sound has an ominous vibe that seems to straddle the brink of exploding at any second. "Dwarf Thunderbolt" has a soundtrack like quality not unlike a suspense or science fiction movie. It is one of the more enjoyable pieces that Tribulation contains. There is a story telling aspect that seems to come through the emanations of sound. "Silver Stars Rot Mindlessly..." continues where "Dwarf Thunderbolt" left off both chronologically and thematically. At this point, I realize just how much I am enjoying this album and it came with a similar subtlety to what the album possesses. This song comes as though it is some ancient clarion call waking the listener from some subconscious coma (probably insidiously induced to great effect during the listening of the album). The closing track for Tribulation, "In the Depths of the Stagnant Pond," ends the album on a strong note as it furthers the mood and tone of the previous two tracks. It also revisits some of the sounds found previously on the Tribulation.
Honestly, I understand that most people will not get Skullflower. I also know that for many Tribulation will simply blow over more than a couple of heads. But, that doesn't take away from the subtle beauty and aural pummeling that this album has in store for adventurous listeners. It is a record to get lost in amidst the swirling skrees of feedback and waves of white noise. In that sense, what more could one want from a record?
