Harakiri for the Sky has never fit any pre-established label.
They’re too diverse and expansive (and accessible?) to be straight post-black metal, but their sound is also too harsh to be called straight post-rock or shoegaze, they blend a confluence of eclectic influences in a very recognizable sound that is unmistakably theirs. This is what most bands aspire to or, at least, should.
I like to compare them to Anaal Nathrakh in a weird, roundabout way. In the sense that they developed such a strong and instantly recognizable sonic identity that it came to define their creative playing field. Harakiri for the Sky sound how they sound and they only refine the formula with every album. This is exactly what they do on their new record Scorched Earth.
This new offering consists of seven finely crafted, lengthy and multifaceted songs (plus two bonuses that we’ll talk about) that clock in at well over an hour of music. You will immediately feel a sense of familiarity on the opener Heal me (featuring Tim Yatras of Austere) with the moody, brittle piano notes, bombastic, swirling guitars and J.J’s impassioned performance. The lyrics are as suicidal and worrisome as ever, but they’re interpreted with such reckless abandon that become relatable. It's the most extreme anthem to bad day you've ever heard.
I also love the use of blast beats on the song. It’s very purposeful as it highlights crisis and inner turmoil. I’m not the biggest blast-beats-for-the-sake-of-blast-beats guy and I thought they were super well integrated in the narrative of the song here.
Keep me longing also starts with mournful piano, although it’s a much richer and melodic approach. It’s the longest song on the record at 10:40, but it’s also one of the most simple and “most black metal” I guess you could say for lack of a better word, featuring tremolo picking, blast beats and whatnot. It’s also carried by quite the powerful message of love and resilience. It’s not quite uplifting, but it has an intoxicating ardor and light to it. It's nimble.
The other ten minute song on Scorched Earth is called Without you I’m just a sad song and it’s… uh, quite dramatic. Its intro reminds me of Lukas Graham’s insufferable song 7 Years (now that’s one strike right there) and it’s perhaps the riffiest, most ambitious song on the record. It’s not bad, but I just can’t get over that piano. Maybe I have PTSD from radio rock, but something about that particular tone just doesn’t work on a song that channels such an emotional intensity. Some of it reminded me of old Sonata Arctica records too. It’s not great. It’s alright though, Harakiri for the sky have always tried some stuff. It’s OK not to bat .1000.
No graves but the sea speeds things up a little bit despite being eight minutes long. It has more of a punk-ish feel to it, with simpler drumming and catchy, melodic riffs. It’s very much what I expect out of a Harakiri for the Sky song, but it scratches that particular itch perfectly. The insane chemistry between J.J and M.S is palpable. They masterfully play off each other. With Autumn I’ll Surrender is another sorrowful, melodic tapestry that includes so many influences that it’s hard to keep up. It’s one of these songs that eludes any labels. I loved the acoustic guitars and the almost classic rock drums with pounding transitions that gave the songs girth and character. Great drumming is so important in metal. It can make a song feel so much bigger.
Now, I was just a promise you couldn’t keep is familiar territory again, but it has such a cinematic feel to it that it’s really hard not to like. It’s the sound of musicians who know who they are and what they’re capable of. I like Deafheaven, but this me Harakiri for the Sky’s expansive, shoegazy metal over them any day of the week. It’s less powerful of a song, but it’s so moody and poised. It’s also quite catchy. J.J goes really hard on this one also. The band hasn’t released the lyrics for it yet, but I’m sure it’s as melancholic and miserable as it ought to be. It’s one of my favorite numbers of Scorched Earth. What can I say? I like my music intense.
The closer Too late for goodbyes (bonus songs notwithstanding) features Serena Cherry from British post-hardcore band Svalbard. It’s gnarly and intense and features a nice aerial bridge for the guest, but you’re emotionally drained by that point. If there’s one criticism I would make of this record is that it wears on its listener, but not in a good way. It doesn’t make you more vulnerable and open, you rather get ear fatigue from the cornucopia of riffs. It’s definitely one of these records that I believe is best enjoyed on a song-by-song basis. It can get tiresome and downright suffocating to listen to from cover to cover.
Street Spirit, the Radiohead cover, was one of the lead singles for Scorched Earth. For the longest time, I couldn’t figure out whether I loved or hated it. I’m not a big fan of metal covers of non-metal songs as I find that it is often tone deaf and it is a little bit too bombastic here in the way Disturbed’s cover of The Sound of Silence is, but J.J’s performance carries the song. No disrespect to M.S, but I would’ve listened to J.J sing this one acapella. His voice has the necessary texture and character to make it work, but the instrumentation is too much. I suppose that it fits a heightened and vulnerable state of mind, but it’s not a song you can listen to everyday.
The other bonus song Elysian Fields, featuring Daniel Lang of the Austrian dreampop band Backwards Charm on vocals, is the most different song on the record. It’s slow and atmospheric like shoegaze, but without the swirling guitars. Once again, I love how the drums are recorded here. It anchors the song and helps differentiate it from other dreamy, folksy songs out there. There’s a power to it that is Harakiri for the Sky’s own. This is a band that understands very well how to make their presence felt. I’m sure these two never go unnoticed at parties.
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So, is Scorched Earth a good record? It’s one of these records that fulfills the expectations instead of subverting them and at this point in Harakiri for the Sky’s career, I believe it’s what we should expect from them. They have a well-defined sound and set sonic canvas from which to operate from. So yeah, it’s a good record even if it draws outside the lines here and there. Harakiri for the Sky are refining their sound with age and maturity and they’re not looking to challenge a winning formula. Bless their hearts for that. Scorched Earth is coming out on January 24th from AOP records and it’s gonna provide you with a lot of what you already know and love from the band.
