Album art by Bruno Gonzalez
Style: Blackgaze, post-metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Deafheaven, Alcest, Saon, Lantlôs, Agalloch
Country: Austria
Release date: 24 January 2025
Since 2011, Harakiri for the Sky have made themselves a notable presence in the metal scene—not a headliner band nor a forgettable opener. Their sound defines an accessible fusion of the deeply layered and atmospheric aspects of post-metal, with a sprinkling of melody infused black metal. All of this crystallizes into melancholic journeys through somber, aural landscapes.
Everything about the creation of Scorched Earth set the stage for a massive return to form. The band’s 2018 album Arson was followed by a series of middling, unremarkable albums. When their 2021 release, Mære, left both me and critics cold, it was clear that Harakiri for the Sky needed a new creative spark. This inspiration took root in the hiatus that occurred from 2021 to 2025, which involved J.J. (Michael V. Wahntraum) going on a personal pilgrimage of self-discovery; he was processing the end of a long-time relationship, which led him to a family-owned cabin far off in the woods, where he could find himself in solitude. Simultaneously, civilization itself was in the middle of the COVID pandemic, which added a world-weary angle to J.J.’s contemplations.
Harakiri for the Sky are masters of painting a gloomy vista: the use of emotive, if somewhat predictable harmony, layered vastness with piercing high melodies and ostinatos, and a strong sense of when to break from a momentous riff. Whether it’s a rainy day, a break up, or sense of existential unease, their sound functions as the backdrop to them all. The issue is, can they make a collection of songs that offers more than just a vibe—an album worth keeping?
The potential of being a keeper is present in Scorched Earth, manifested particularly in “With Autumn I’ll Surrender”. It is structured around a catchy motif which glides over the blackgaze/post-metal landscapes constructed by the rhythmic escalations of the harmonic beauty—starting slow, then reaching a gallop. Across the song’s eight minutes, this motif is built up, deviated from, and reintroduced in ways that keep the idea fresh and impactful. The issue, however, is that none of the other tracks measure up to it.
The band can’t escape the trap of songs having a convincing aesthetic but a vanishing trace of substance. This might not be apparent on a moment-to-moment basis, but the album’s overall songwriting leaves much to be desired. The beginning theme of “Heal Me,” consisting of a post-rock-esque soaring melody, becomes indistinct by drawing itself out and consisting mainly of tremolo-picked long notes—in this case, if the theme had more substantial variations that introduce a busier texture beyond tremolo picking, it might have been a keeper. “Keep Me Longing” has a theme containing a series of arpeggios, but its use in the song could easily be mistaken for some kind of secondary section, as it just doesn’t seem to have much of an identity. Although this theme is busy, it lacks contrast. Contours and textures that aren’t arpeggio-like would have gone far in making the motif more unique, and perhaps a more engaged rhythm section would have made the overall songwriting stronger. But a lack of diversity and memorability plague nearly the entire album.
In an ideal world, every song would be equally distinct, based firmly on ideas that compelled a relisten. Instead of lamenting its failures, I would suggest that the band look to the highlights of The Ruins of Beverast and Absu to develop a bit more sophistication in their composition in order to push themselves further. However, such a hope for Harakiri Of The Sky is a pipe dream, since they consistently fail to make songs that stand out from one another at all. Scorched Earth is a beautiful, but ultimately forgettable album. The only possible way forward from here is to take cues from the likes of Agalloch and Alcest in terms of motif-work.
Recommended tracks: With Autumn I’ll Surrender
You may also like: Together to the Stars, Constellatia, Asunojokei
Final verdict: 6/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Label: AOP – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website
Harakiri for the Sky is:
– J.J. (vocals)
– M.S. (guitar, bass, producer)
– Krimh (drums)
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