I’ve been turned onto some killer bands since signing up for the Metalhead Box. One of the first shirts I received was a Tribunal one. So of course I wanted to know what they sounded like, and my expectations have been exceeded substantially.

My stupid ass thought they are a Black Metal band interested in WW2. Nope. Tribunal are five happy Canadian souls who play a blackend style of Funeral Doom that goes heavy as fuck on the orchestral level.

This being their second album, they’re still relatively new on the scene; forming in 2019 and releasing debut full-length The Weight of Remembrance in 2023. So at least I’m not so late to the party that I’m reviewing a balls deep, 20 album legacy.

In Penitence and Ruin takes me back to when I first heard Cathedral and their blistering Forest of Equilibrium album. It’s bone crushingly heavy and has a bit of everything going for it. There’s some Black Metal, a ton of Doom, and even some Death Metal peppered in for added flavor.

First track “Incarnadine” pumps out the My Dying Bride and Cathedral vibes right away with a crushing 7:13 lesson in modern Doom. It starts out with some killer My Dying Bride riffs and gorgeous clean vocal lines and they crank up the harsh vocals for a few bars. It’s scratching my Doom itch in the perfect spot. These people can sing! Soren Mourne and Etienne Flinn have serious vocal chops and it’s their delivery that makes this album come alive.

In Penitence and Ruin is a thick album in terms of production. The guitars have a Gothic tinge to them, and it gives off the feeling that Candlemass and the early Doom bands had, the cello making me think of “I am the Bloody Earth” by My Dying Bride. Tribunal combines crushing, slowly burning tempos with Melodic Death Metal and even Black Metal ambience.

“Can retribution heal the wounds that time can’t touch?” The opening lyric that gives way to “A Wound Unhealing” is delivered mournfully. Suitably orchestral, the track plows forward with some Black Metal rasped vocals. Its unrelenting delivery is such that it makes the darkness move around it. “Angel of Mercy” continues in this vein thoroughly. The ending riffs are so killer that it merges with “The Sword of the Slain”; a mid-paced brutalizer and attention grabber from note number one.

There’s the solemn instrumental “Ruin” and it slides into “The Penitent”. Another track that makes me think of Ghost Warfare and their haunting delivery. These songs are so beautifully put together that there’s a feeling of real sorrow.

“Armoured in Shadow” is an immense, uplifting track. Cavernous, like it’s being performed in an empty, burned-out cathedral.  “ …And the Thorn-Choked Flowers Grow” hits the My Dying Bride elements once again and explores the depths of Doom Metal by being as slow burning as possible. The cello standing out in the solo section.

“Between the Sea and Stars” closes out In Penitence and Ruin with staggering Therion feels. There’s magnificent melody contained within the music of Tribunal. It pulses with a black heart with ichor for blood.

That’s why I love this album. Admittedly you need to be in the right mood. I wasn’t, so maybe I didn’t absorb the full impact, it’s whatever though. In Penitence and Ruin is still a crushing Doom album. It’ll make fans of Cathedral, My Dying Bride, Candlemass and Theatre of Tragedy giddy. A must have for the discerning Doom fan!

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