If in the beginning Austrian Harakiri For The Sky was just a studio project recently this intriguing band has expanded to a live lineup and there is definitely a buzz around the brand new opus “Arson” which passionately delivers a trendy post – black metal sonic ensemble.
“Fire, Walk With Me” immediately draws attention with soulful atmospheric melodies that seamlessly introduce a wilder guitar driven groove which certainly evokes melancholic soundscapes but also a rather blackened influence in the heavier instrumental passages accompanied by fierce screams. Without necessarily sounding too aggressive or depressing, the band delivers a fair dosage of extreme metal roots yet the melodic textures and softly atmospheric passages are characterized by darkly catchy tonalities.
As soon as “You Are The Scars” begins you can feel the vivid melancholy embedded in each piano or guitar melody which follows a cold blackened rhythmic pattern that occasionally slows down to favor additional painfully desolate melodic dynamics where guitars showcase remarkable surreal shoegaze oriented details.
Lavish arpeggios and understated eerie atmospheres on “Heroin Waltz” evoke dreadful emotions followed by a series of frenetic blackened grooves amplified by borderline desperate screams dwelling in a quite dark sonic realm yet guitars craft mellower refined melodies that bring wistful luminous nuances.
“Tomb Omnia” continues to emphasize a poetic darkness as le mal de vivre becomes extremely palpable in the elegant melodic cascades meticulously crafted by vibrant guitars and groovy passages but the more dramatic blackened elements definitely maintain a crucial role.
“Voidgazer” is filled with an exquisite sense of profound melancholia as a soothing melodic beginning is smoothly followed by intense darkened guitar riffing and the intricate melodic slightly avant-garde guitar work confidently steals the spotlight throughout the song but feels especially enthralling in the slower contemplative moments.
With “Arson” Harakiri For The Sky aims to fascinate the listeners with a whimsical blend of ethereal shoegaze/post-rock harmonies and primordial blackened dynamics resulting in the creation of a modern emotionally charged collection of songs.