Every so often I come across Profile responses for a project that I was previously unfamiliar with (my own fault) and I’m immediately intrigued. Fortunately, that intrigue is often rewarded. Such is the case with Tribunal. The Vancouver-based orchestral doom quintet are releasing their second album, In Penitence And Ruin, tomorrow through 20 Buck Spin. If the forlorn and melodic styles of that doom subgenre appeal to you, you’re in for a good one. It’s already scratched the itch for me after a couple of listens and at this point I’m just looking forward to digging even deeper because there is plenty to explore here. To help that process along, Etienne Flinn (guitar, vocals, co-songwriter) responded to our questions and offered some awesome insights into this project, this album, and their road ahead. Get the full scoop after the jump and be sure to hit that play button to accompany your reading. Enjoy!

—

How and when did you first get into playing music, or metal more specifically, and how did your band get its start? Any pushback from family/those close to you?

I first started listening to metal in grade school when my oldest sister brought home some symphonic power metal records from her friends in high school, Nightwish, Within Temptation, Sonata Arctica, and the like. I drifted away for a while but got back into heavy music through later-era Warped Tour metalcore, which also got me interested in music with harsh vocals. There was no real pushback from my family aside from the standard griping about us playing heavy music in the car.

Tribunal itself started when Soren and I met right after we both moved to Vancouver for school. We bonded over our mutual interest in metal and how we had both previously been in bands that fizzled out, and started jamming together casually soon after. Our full current lineup came together shortly after the release of our debut record “The Weight of Remembrance”, initially as a live setup before slowly evolving into a complete band.

How would you describe your band and what you play to someone who is completely in the dark?

If someone is completely in the dark about metal itself, I usually just say we’re a doom metal band and that doom metal sounds like Black Sabbath, it’s rare that someone is unfamiliar with them at least.

For metal fans who don’t know us specifically, I’d call us a blend of the gothic “Peaceville-adjacent” death-doom sound (My Dying Bride, Draconian, Paradise Lost) and more traditional epic doom like Candlemass, with live cello, keys, and a blend of harsh vocals and clean female vocals that are more powerful than operatic.

Is there anything about your upcoming album or about your band that no one will find in any interview or review that you care to divulge?

We are pretty early in the promotional cycle for our upcoming album “In Penitence and Ruin”, so
there’s lots I could say right now.

I would highlight that, while Soren and I usually write our songs separately and then work on arrangements and other details together, this record features two tracks that we cowrote to a greater extent than anything we’ve made before. “The Sword of the Slain” is a song where I wrote and arranged the music, and then Soren wrote the lyrics and vocals over what I had made.

“Incarnadine” is a more complex mix where we had two songs written by each of us, where each song had some great parts but wasn’t really gelling together. Soren noticed the tracks were in compatible keys and time signatures and worked out an arrangement that combined them. We also threw in the oldest riff on this album, the heavy, slow, funereal section in the middle. That riff is from an old song with the working title of “Spiral” that we played live at our first few shows but didn’t make the cut for the first album. I always loved that riff and was happy we managed to find a place to make it work. The song ended up being a favorite of many of us in the band, so I think we may try writing more using this approach in the future.

Any funny stories from playing shows / tours / festivals, etc?

Lots of them, while we present a somewhat dour face to the world in our art and promotion we have a lot of fun and laughs while on the road together.

One of the funniest memories I have is of staying in the worst hotel room I’ve ever seen in Scranton, Pennsylvania at the end of our East Coast tour with Mares of Thrace. The front door of the room was heavily dented from being battered, and the bathroom door could not close as there was a huge chunk blown out of the door frame around the lock where the door had clearly been kicked in. The only chair was a rolling office chair, but with almost all the leather on it peeled off, and the bedsheets were all heavily burned. To top it off, some truly romantic soul had carved a couple’s initials into a heart on the dresser.

What do you see as some of the great things happening in and around the metal scene (yours or just in general) and what are some of the worst things happening right now?

There’s a lot of cool stuff happening always! I’m really excited about our local British Columbia scene, with some really strong albums last year from our friends in Kayas and Liminal Shroud as well as some massive achievements from Unleash the Archers and Archspire.

Probably the worst thing for the scene at the moment is the rising cost of touring making it harder for bands to hit the road and play more shows. This is particularly difficult as I both want to travel as far as I can with Tribunal while also seeing more small bands from Europe touring Western Canada.

Most folks have passions for a cause or causes that are close to them. What, if any, are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you / your band and how do you insert those issues into your music?

Both Soren and I have a lot of interest in the justice system and how it can be reformed to balance justice, mercy, and forgiveness. Our varying perspectives on this are at the core of our new record, which is a cycle of songs considering a guilty Penitent who has committed a severe wrong, considering how to respond from a multitude of angles. The album is more about exploring the human side of these questions than offering answers, but I hope it makes the listener think.

What advice do you have for music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?

For critics, this is complex, but while it is key to be kind I think honesty is underrated. The biggest boost our first album received was a 4/5 review from Angry Metal Guy, a review site where solid scores count for a lot simply because they don’t give those scores to every release. It’s a double-edged sword as I’ve seen them give mediocre-to-bad scores to a ton of albums I love if it just didn’t click with them, but I think that honesty will serve both listeners and bands better in the long run.

Any specific long term goal(s) in mind?

We are honestly very grateful to have come this far already, and in a lot of ways I think we’re just keen to see how much we can do and how far we can go playing this deeply niche style of music.

That said, a big long term goal for us is to get out to Europe and play some festivals or a tour. I think we play a very European style of metal, that’s where most of my favorite bands are from, and we would love to get over there if we can get it to make logistical sense.

When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently?

There’s been some really strong releases in our niche. I’ve been really loving the new albums from Mother of Graves, Counting Hours, and Fires in the Distance, as well as the more obvious big hitters Swallow the Sun and My Dying Bride. For non-metal, I really love the new Silverstein, “Antibloom”.

What is the near future outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?

We will of course be releasing our second album, “In Penitence and Ruin”, on April 18th via 20 Buck Spin. I am incredibly proud of this record and cannot wait for it to finally be released into the world.

We have a handful of dates in the Pacific Northwest to support the album, most notably including an appearance at Northwest Terror Fest in Seattle. That is a festival that I’ve attended for many years as a fan and I am incredibly excited to have been invited to perform.

Summarize your band in one word.

Melancholy.

—

Many thanks to Etienne and Tribunal for the time!

---

In Penitence and Ruin is out on April 18th through 20 Buck Spin. For more information on Tribunal, follow along on Instagram or Facebook.