Harakiri For The Sky - Mære

Songs that remind us of our fall.

(Originally submitted to the Metal Archives on March 4th 2021) 

After 4 months of waiting and 1 delay it's finally here! Harakiri For The Sky's Mære has without a doubt been my most anticipated release of the year so far and I'm pleased to be able to review it. I've been following these Austrians' endeavors since 2018, having gotten into them through their 2016 effort, III:Trauma. 4 years and 1 live show later, this is the first "fresh" release of theirs I've actually experienced the release of, singles and all. It is with great pleasure that I say that it was worth every second of the wait, with the band delivering another fantastic album where they further tweak and improve their sound.

Things start off on a very strong note with "I, Pallbearer", which, following a lengthy buildup, launches immediately into one of the band's trademark spacey tremolo riffs. It has no shortage of cool moments, but the most notable are without a doubt the one at 3:19, where the band layers the lead and rhythm guitar, decorated by gentle piano notes and double bass, as well as the piano section that ties the entire track up. It flawlessly sets the tone for the entirety of this release with its emotional intensity and haunting instrumentation. Another notable track on the first third of the album is "Sing for the Damage We've Done", featuring Neige of Alcest fame. His presence on the song is mostly limited to its final quarter, but his delivery there fits perfectly. From his ethereal cleans at 4:59 to his raspy shrieks at 6:35, he only serves to further the song's emotional potency.

The midsection of the album is where things fall off ever so slightly, and that's because of one song: "I'm All About The Dusk". It is not terrible by any means, but the fact that it maintains a slow tempo for most of its duration, alternating between slow riffs and acoustic guitar/piano sections makes it drag a little, slightly blemishing an otherwise perfect album. The band has an expert grasp on dynamics and varying tempo, and it's a shame to not see those show up on a track that is in dire need of them. It still has some nice moments in it, like the section at 4:01, with the piano keys melding with the guitar lines, and a really cool bass segment at 9:04, but those are few and far in between. Thankfully, it's followed by "Three Empty Words", a much more varied song that is among the best tracks on offer. It has the dynamics the previous song lacked in spades, with sections like the acoustic guitar being played over a slow riff at 2:19, and the lead section with the driving double bass underneath it at 8:34, ending with a short acoustic section shortly after.

The final third of the album sees the band sticking the landing, with two very strong songs bookending it, "Silver Needle // Golden Dawn'' and "Time is a Ghost". The former of the two features Gaerea's vocalist (who we will refer to as John Gaerea), with whom Jay trades vocal lines in some of the verses. John Gaerea’s deeper growl provides an excellent foil to Jay's mid-ranged shout, creating an interesting vocal dynamic between the two. That being said, the vocal performances aren't the only thing on offer, with the song having quite a few cool segments, like the mid-paced riff that comes in after the intro at 0:30, or the lead at 5:45, which is underpinned by the bass.

"Time is a Ghost" is the album's final original song, and its tone fully fits that of a closing track. It follows a similar structure to the rest of the album, ebbing and flowing between faster and calmer sections. The song progressively builds up to a powerful climax, thus bringing the album to a close.Placebo’s aptly named “Song to Say Goodbye”, acts as an epilogue, continuing the trend the band established since their debut.The song is the same as the original structurally, but the band's performance transforms it into an entirely different beast. The song feels desperate and chaotic, in stark contrast to the original's melancholy vibe. It also surprisingly enough doesn't ruin the finality of the song that preceded it, seeing how it fits in the general concept of the album.

Which brings me to another notable aspect of the album, the lyrics. They've remained largely the same, with the band writing about mental health, depression and addiction, but the overarching theme of the album is that of loss. Every song talks about some aspect of loss, particularly that of people growing apart from each other. There's this feeling of nostalgia about what was, ruminating over what could've been. All that is passionately delivered by Jay, who employs the mid-ranged shout he has utilised in the band's previous works, which, coupled with Krimh Lechner's fantastic drum performance give the lyrics an even more manic and intense character.

The production on the album is not all that different from what we've heard on the band's previous releases, with ethereal guitars accentuated by a rumbly bass, with the drums having a crisp sound, and with the atmosphere being further enhanced by the reverb applied to the instruments. The mixing is also pretty good for the most part, especially during the busier sections where other instruments join in, with everything being audible at all times and not turning into a grating wall of sound. The only outlier in this situation is John Gaerea’s performance on "Silver Needle // Golden Dawn", since he's a bit low in the mix and can be hard to hear at times.

Now, while Mære is an excellent album, there might be a couple of things that could prove to be deal breakers for a lot of people, such as the duration. The album clocks in at a massive 84 minutes, making it the band's longest album to date, beating out III:Trauma by 10 minutes. It's without a doubt a daunting listen and might become tiresome for a lot of people, so if you plan on giving it an attentive listen you should make sure you have some time to spare. There is also the fact that the band hasn't really changed their sound much since they started, which might prove to be an issue to some people. In my case it doesn't cause any problems, especially considering the fact that they're still very much capable of writing compelling music, even if it might feel a bit samey at times.

Mære is the product of a band full of passion, and proves itself to be a worthy addition to the band's discography so far. Its powerful expression of emotion and beautiful instrumentation make it not only one of their best albums, but also my personal frontrunner for album of the year.

Highlights: Sing for the Damage We've Done, Three Empty Words, Silver Needle // Golden Dawn, Time is a Ghost

Rating: 93%