TRIBUNAL - In Penitence and Ruin (Review)

Written by: Blackie Skulless

A longer record that uses an extremely clean atmosphere, described as “gothic” doom metal; talk about a one way ticket for me to hate something. Except, it turns out that there are exceptions to even this rule. The Canadian outfit Tribunal seems to be one of those, considering their second record titled In Penitence And Ruin managed to worm its way into my ear for more than one visit. Perhaps the intriguing album artwork made me more interested in lending my attention.

If my little metaphor didn’t make this clear, Tribunal’s style takes some growing. At first glance, it’s built on the doom template that leans towards the epic end, dropping extremely dense guitar passages that draw out their momentum, topped by powerful vocals, all cleaned up for maximum clarity. The “gothic” elements arrive in the form of piano and string passages, rather than synths, and I might say that this is part of what sold me. Hell, maybe an electric keyboard is used for all of that, but the execution is convincing enough to not matter. They’re ultimately a background trait that add spice to an otherwise typical dish, but this choice alone is enough to invoke interest. Breaks like the middle of “Angel Of Mercy” are where they thrive the most, borrowing the forefront every now and then.

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Moreover, the vocals often trade the epic and boisterous element for death metal growls more than subtly, which completed the circle for yours truly. We see this type of crossover in the doom sphere plenty enough, but the specific combination of all of these after taking time to simmer really nailed the mark for me. Longer-form songs allow a lot of space between the spaces for beefy transitions, standout leads, and explosive breaks. Some of the best moments are when the drums roll out incredibly fast kicks that boil underneath the otherwise crawling delivery of everything else, exercised early on in the opening “Incarnadine.”
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​To the veteran doom lover, In Penitence And Ruin may be another exercise in what’s been tried before, for better or worse. If there’s anything to complain about, it’s that a few of the tracks definitely could have been cut down some, as it begins to drag near the end. Overall, the picture still feels full and simply comes down to it being a me problem. Thus, looking at it as one massive work of art rather than eight tracks and an interlude is how I go into it.

Tribunal - In Penitence And Ruin was released April 18th, 2025 via 20 Buck Spin. Find it here!

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Tribunal can be found: Bandcamp and Facebook
Cover painting and lettering by Soren Mourne
Layout by Chimere Noire