FMA Reviews: Tribune: Elder Lore/The Dark Arts

Tribune (apparently pronounced TRY-BUNE) shows a large variety of influences. Elements of thrash, progressive, death, and even some metalcore are woven throughout this release. The band probably is most reminiscent of Into Eternity, a fellow Canadian progressive metal band with a variety of other influences. But, if anything, Tribune is even more varied.

One thing is for certain, this is definitely not a boring album. Tribune is all over the place with their sound. The listener truly does not know what to expect to hear next. One minute the band is speeding along with a thrash riff and then the next you could be hearing some doom metal. The variety definitely keeps the listener involved in the album. Along with the variety of styles in the music itself, Tribune also features a variety of vocal styles. There may be some death metal-esque roars followed immediately by some cleaner crooning.

"The World's Greatest Cynic" is definitely the highlight on this release. At nine plus minutes in length, it represents a microcosm of the entire album, throwing in as many influences as the band could and featuring a whirlwind of competing riffs and vocal styles. Otherwise, "The Warrior Mentality" and "Below" also made strong impressions. "The Succubus" is more of a radio-friendly metal song that would not sound out of place on a Killswitch Engage album.

This is a widely diverse album that keeps the listener on their toes.