Among the most interesting releases of this early 2023 is undoubtedly Tribunal‘s debut album; what makes The Weight of Remembrance so special and worthy of attention is the ability of the Canadian duo formed by Soren Mourne (cello, bass, vocals) and Etienne Flinn (vocals, guitars) to offer a balanced mix of classic and more extreme doom, even if the general trend at the end of the listening session leans more towards the first of the two sides. In fact, Mourne’s beautiful and evocative female voice acts as a guideline throughout the entire work, even if it is occasionally mottled by Flinn’s growl in conjunction with the intensification of the guitar riffs; another peculiarity of the work lies in the use of the cello, capable of creating those sorrowful atmospheres that are normally delineated by the keyboards. Tribunal does not offer a work of immediate listening, also because the tones are mostly dark and the melodies are closely interwoven with an introspective mood, so that the work’s abundant three quarters of an hour must be worked on with care and dedication, an effort amply repaid by the depth of seven songs without tension or redundancy. Even the idea to situate the longest track, the marvellous The Path (over twelve minutes long), at the end of the tracklist is explicative of the clarity of intentions of the North American duo. Considering that we are talking about musicians who were not too well known in the scene, we can say that The Weight of Remembrance is a great as well as a welcome surprise for all lovers of these sounds, besides being a strong candidate to carve out a relevant place for itself in the charts of this still young year.
2023 – 20 Buck Spin
Mournful Sounds 
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