ALBUM REVIEW: Requiem (Live at Roadburn 2019) – Triptykon

Few bands are as encompassed in legacy as TRIPTYKON are. With their heritage going all the way back to the very birth of the black metal genre thanks to Tom G Warrior’s career as the grunting frontman of HELLHAMMER and eventually the eternally excellent CELTIC FROST. Being the third incarnation of Warrior’s musical embodiment, TRIPTYKON have carried the same pathfinding torch as its ancestors and have carved its own name into the halls of extreme musical history as one of the most effortless heavy and enthralling musical projects of the past decade. 

With a creative mind as expansive as Tom Warrior at the helm, there is an expectation for boundaries to be pushed and any hope for chance of accessibility firmly removed, as the barriers of normality can frequently force ideas into a realm they never did belong. And Requiem does not belong anywhere other than its own pantheon. As a piece of music 30 years in the making, the final and complete rendition of Requiem performed live at Roadburn Festival 2019 with the Metropole Orkest is amongst the finest achievements for a gentleman and band that have already done so much for extreme music. 

Extreme music and full orchestras is nothing new, with DIMMU BORGIR and METALLICA both famously performing groundbreaking sets that are still remembered today, alongside CRADLE OF FILTH, ANATHEMA, NIGHTWISH, DEVIN TOWNSEND and many more also proving the combination to be one that can reap historic rewards. Throughout Requiem the orchestral backing never feels out of place and are used to expertly highlight the best elements of TRIPTYKON‘s varied sound. The low brass rumble during the opening moments of Part 1 of the 30 minute transition piece soon opening up with the help of shrill strings, the doom and emotion that oozes from every second of TRIPTYKON‘s music is amplified beautifully. 

With this first transition part moving from doom to prog to post-rock and back again it becomes clear just why this 30 minute piece took so long to write. Requiem being accentuated by thunderous percussion frequently heard throughout Tom G Warrior’s output reminds you that orchestral sounds have always been a part of the blueprint, and was part of the reason why CELTIC FROST made such a huge name for themselves. Still, decades on and the composition feels more mature as the comprehension of the artists has deepened and been tempered by experience. Every second of this piece feels meticulous and thought out, as the delicate orchestral arrangements float above the bands more typical monolithic riffing and transition from movement to movement seamlessly. The female vocals are stunning and provide a delicate nuance to the piece, as Tom G Warrior’s low grunt delivers the opposing juxtaposition to round it out. 

The piece is aided by it’s beautiful recording as well, which gives every sound and instrument the freedom to find its way to the listener. Nothing is lost in the mix and nothing suffers a lack of impact, with everything sounding full and clear. It’s a testament to the meticulous nature of the band and also serves as a beautiful juxtaposition to the engrained rejection of recording norms from when HELLHAMMER first hit the scene. This represents an evolution that sacrifices none of the essence of what makes this type of music so engaging and enthralling. Transition Part 2 is an unsettling and aggressively evil sounding piece of music, something designed to send chills down your spine and it progresses and swells, slowly introducing fuzzy bass rumbles through Part 4 & 5 that simply conjure images of great monsters lurking in the shadows. It hits an emotional depth that only music like this can create, as the constant trudge through the murky depths and the returning “Wave after wave” lyric force you to dwell on the darkness. 

Through powerful imagery and effortless layering of their music, TRIPTYKON have not only created an album, but a tangible and emotional quest through a corner of music they know best. Where Melana Chasmata and Eparistera Daimones started, this album picks off, adding its own flavours to the mix and not only ties up a musical story that has been in the making since the late 80s but also furthers the legacy of a band already destined for the history books. Less intense than previous TRIPTYKON outings but only in its lack of distortion and compressed riffs, Requiem is a transcendent piece of music that will guide you on a journey only a group like TRIPTYKON can lead you on. Not only does this piece sound truly epic, but it is a varied and eclectic combination of sounds that prove extremity can be an iron fist in a velvet glove in the hands of the talented. 

Rating: 9/10

Requiem (Live At Roadburn 2019) out now via Prowling Death Records/Century Media Records.

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