Formed in 1997 by members of DEMONIC CHRIST, the album prior to this EP, Seas of Unrest, was put out by Music for Nations in 1999. .308 Antichrist was released in 2001 and right around that time vocalist/guiarist Jon Vesano joined NILE as live bassist/vocalist (with them until 2005, recording Annihilation of the Wicked) and DARKMOON ceased. The remaining members formed WEHRWOLFE and released one album a couple of years later.
Blasting US black/death war metal fury! Raging and violent contempt for christianity. Unsheathe thy sword and charge forward into battle.
Review
Damn, this is definitely the first real metal release from Tribunal! And I'm glad to see them branching out! This rules - blazing black/death metal from North Carolina that takes the speed and attack of the former, blending it with the gruff vocals and riffing of the latter (ala Angel Corpse, Krisiun, and so on). Great melodic lead bursts show up at times, and some slightly melodic rhythms reminiscent of Morbid Angel also make appearances. "Pagan Graves" really has the most evident black metal influence, with constant speed and light melody. The solid writing never gets boring, there are tons of changes and little details that start to give the band their own sound. Nothing gets too redundant, which is especially impressive since the tracks can be long, but they're always throwing around tempos changes or altering the riffs. The production is quite good. As is almost always the case the drums are far too rigid, but the guitar tone is excellent and there are a few spurts where some killer bass runs are evident. No lyrics are included, but the layout does boast some Travis Smith artwork. A very well balanced effort overall, maintaining a level of diversity without abandoning its prime intentions. Perhaps a full-length will follow at some point? I strongly recommend this to fans of the fast and aggressive, this is definitely heading in an original direction, and I'm hoping to hear more. - Aversion Online 5/5
