SubRosa
For This We Fought the Battle of Ages
(Profound Lore)
The new SubRosa starts off slow and mellow, drags on, and wanders into weary dimensions. The Salt Lake City outfit’s unique brand of folk and doom continues to impress and transcend genres. If you’ve been a fan of SubRosa since No Help For The Mighty Ones, then you probably expect their weird brand of doom metal to carry you into interesting and somber places. The lure of SubRosa’s enchanting tones play like a siren, with sad notes that could be explained as both chilling and beautiful. Although For This We Fought the Battle of Ages does not feel as heavy as some of their earlier releases, SubRosa have not lacked in creative output; the new Profound Lore album is as well produced as anything they’ve ever done, even if there are times where For This We Fought The Battle of Ages lulls into some boring points.
Just when you think they’ve traded in their pummeling riffs for their electric violin tragic anthems, Rebecca Vernon creeps back in with a crushing guitar sound. The addition of the violins and the rhythm section usher in waves of energy that will swallow you whole. The magic of the riffs will keep you bopping your head over and over. Rebecca Vernon’s versatility at the front end of this band shines through often enough. She’s a very strong and passionate singer capable of highs and lows, ballads and eye opening doom trodden epics.
For This We Fought the Battle of Ages is just a bit different from No Help From The Mighty Ones and their follow-up LP More Constant Than the Gods. With the production of Andy Patterson, SubRosa have been able to really tap into the subtler talents in the band, such as shown through the dynamics on this new album. For This We Fought the Battle of Ages certainly shifts into some very moody and downtrodden themes that are expertly crafted. This isn’t an album you can listen to once and appreciate, and you may find yourself forming different opinions on the album with each listen.
Purchase For This We Fought the Battle of Ages here.
