Review by Dominik on January 10, 2025.

Incest is sex between close relatives. In most societies is it considered immoral or is even condemned, as it increases the risk of genetic disorders considerably and generally leads to undesirable outcomes. A principle that seems clear when discussing human reproduction becomes far murkier when applied to black metal where it's practically a business model. Here, musicians circulate between bands like guests at an underground swinger club, exchanging their "musical genetic" heritage with reckless abandon, swapping riffs instead of bodily fluids. The key question is whether this intermingling leads to musical disorders, or does it safeguard the genre against unwanted "pollution"?

In the case of Ukrainian Windswept's latest release, Der Eine, Wahre König, the result is neither an abomination nor a masterpiece. The band was founded by members of Drudkh and Rattenfänger, with vocal guest appearances from Wintherr (Darkspace, Paysage d'Hiver) and Meilenwald (The Ruins of Beverast) on the here reviewed EP, which presents four new tracks firmly rooted in melodic black metal. Given the backgrounds of those involved, one might expect a fusion of Drudkh's atmospheric, keyboard laden black metal and Rattenfänger's death-leaning aggression, but Windswept completely avoids such cross-pollination. Instead, it plays it safe. The album is ferocious in execution but largely predictable in structure. The material sticks to a well-worn path, focusing on blistering speed with some slower sections, that at least in parts push beyond the band's previous efforts.

The EP's four songs are covered by three different vocalists, which gives us some of that much needed variation. Their vocal pitch is diverse enough to give each song a distinctive voice. The standout moment arrives with "Drangsal" ("Tribulation"), the shortest and strongest track. The song's hooks stick immediately and despite following the same approach as the rest—blistering fast sections, followed by a slower one—here the riffs are just a tad more urgent and the imploring voice during the evocative break works well in contrast to the dark growls and aggressive, venomous malevolence. Unexpectedly, this song is performed in German, too, though the band's Ukrainian vocalist takes the lead here.

The opener "Verbrannte Brücken" ("Burnt Bridges") feels like "Drangsal"'s slightly less charismatic sibling. The composition follows a similar route, but pummels you from start to finish, not giving you any room to breathe. If "Drangsal" is the EP's moment of triumph, the 10-minute closing track "Jedes Todes Lohn" ("Every Death's Reward") is its least inspired. My issue is, when I am gasping for air, I don't need five minutes to catch my breath. The song starts with a stomping mid-tempo riff that feels played out two minutes in, before half-way the band starts sprinting towards the finale.

In summary, Windswept is committed to keep their sound untainted from outside influences and thus ensures that their work remains firmly within genre expectations. But in their attempt to avoid "pollution", they also miss an opportunity to create something more distinctively "incestuous" in the best possible way and show some more evolution. That said, fans of straightforward black metal, who prefer their music without the burden of overcomplicated structures, will find plenty to enjoy.

Rating: 7.7 out of 100 – because while Windswept keeps the bloodline free from "pollution" and purity is preserved, so is the absence of surprise.

Review by Tara on January 28, 2018.

If you were not a fan of Tribulation's 2015 goth metal epic Children of the Night, do not continue reading this review since the days of this group being a straight-forward death metal band are long gone at this point in time. Although the death metal influence is still very well presented, it is only just a fraction of what Tribulation has to offer.  The Swedish quartet continues in similar fashion on their latest release Down Below and kicks it up a notch with even more elements of horror, prog, 80s new wave and  folk metal combined with romantic gothic overtones. It's a style that works very well and overall; Down Below is an extremely pleasurable and satisfying listen from start to finish.

The album opener entitled ”The Lament" begins as a somber, gothic melody that slowly builds into a more death metal enhanced atmosphere with harsh, yet clear vocals. It sounds eerily similar to earlier Moonspell material or even Sentenced on their Love & Death death metal / gothic opus, blended with 80s goth/new wave rock. It's a real eye-opener and is only just the start of what is to be expected.  In the center of it all is the moody interlude "Purgatorio," which is an absolute haunting piece that breaks up the flow of things a bit. The last four tracks on Down Below, specifically the closer "Here Be Dragons," are on the slightly heavier side of things. Bigger riffs and larger-than-life melodies set the stage, and when the album is over it will leave the audience wanting more!

Much like its most recent predecessor, Down Below is heavily compiled with powerful stand-alone songs. As a whole album, however, the experience is all that much more enjoyable; it's formatted in a flawless manner and is the perfect length, an effortless creation despite all of its complexities. Call Tribulation what you will: goth metal, death metal, horror metal; the truth of the matter is, they don't fit under any specific sub genre of metal, and that is just a part of what makes them so special. Here's to hoping we get more stellar releases from these guys for the next few decades.

Tribulation has found their niche in the realm of metal. Down Below is now available worldwide from Century Media!

Rating: 8 out of 10