As the post-black metal genre grows, mainstays within the genre have planted their feet, and have begun to forge their own name within the world of metal. Harakiri for the Sky has been doing that for a while, and their most recent album, “Arson”, continues the trend of the band releasing, long, well-written, and entertaining albums. “Fire, Walk with Me” is the first song on this album, and begins with a soft piano intro before launching into the melodic black-gaze that the band is known for. The production, writing, and vocals are all stand out not only on this track, but on the full album as well. This leads into “The Graves We Dug”, which begins with a soft acoustic guitar intro, and is a slower paced song that has a real somber tone. The lead guitar is really well done, and shifts from heavy to melodic seamlessly. “You Are The Scars” has a melodic intro, and more of a melancholic tone.
The writing continues to be tight, this song focuses more on heaviness that previous songs. “Heroin Waltz” has a soft intro, before launching into another heavier track. This song relies very little on vocals, and allows the instrumental to take over and control this song. Up next to “Tomb Omnia” has a very distorted guitar intro, before launching into a slower paced, lighter track that focuses a lot on the melodic side of the band’s sound. This leads into “Stillborn”, which has melodic opening. This one is another slower paced with a somber tone. The song does pick up partway through, then it becomes fast, while staying melodic with a nice lead guitar. “Voidgazer” has a softer intro, and is faster paced, and once it picks up, it leans on the heavier side. The guitar work on this song is really nice, especially the acoustic outro. “Manifesto” is the shortest, and last, song on the album. The song features clean vocals, and for the most part bounces between heavy and light, with a mix of harsh and clean vocals. This song, while being short, ends the album on a high note. This is a very good album. Fans of Harakiri for the Sky know what they’re in for. The band adds another solid entry to their discography. If you’ve slept on this band, this is a great place to jump in.
Overall Score: 9.0/10
Review by Sam Hookom
