Album/EP

The Gloom In The Corner - Trinity (Album Review)

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

Oct 26, 2022

7 min read

The Gloom In The Corner - Trinity
Released: October 28th, 2022

Line-Up:

Mikey Arthur // Vocals
Nic Haberle // Drums
Paul Musolino // Bass
Matt Stevens // Guitar

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In recent years, The Gloom In The Corner has gathered a strong following within Australia's -core community, which isn't surprising—offering more than what most bands in the genre do, which is chugging and/or intricate riffs, breakdowns and roaring vocals. This band intertwines their music to tell a complex story that progresses with each release (which has been appropriately dubbed as cinemacore). Today, however, I'll focus this review solely on the music itself and perhaps revisit the story concept at a later date. The thirteen-track journey features some of the heavy world's best upcoming and established vocalists, leaving their mark on what is sure to be a wild album. Let's dive in!

Beginning the release is 'From Heaven To Hell', and the opening lyrics "let me paint you a picture", takes us into a soft album opener with vocalist Mikey Arthur shining in the limelight with his newly founded clean vocal range. The track progressively becomes heavier and peaks at a breakdown towards the end with the lyrics "Welcome to the rabbit hole". 'Obliteration Imminent' pushed the tempo back up to a speed that we are used to from this Melbourne-based bunch. Arthur switches between his harsh unclean vocals to his angelic cleans with ease. The low-tuned, beefy guitars add immense character to the song. Taking the track to completion is Reliqa's Monique Pym with her hauntingly beautiful clean vocals. The first single from the album, 'Ronin' is some of this group's heavier work. Abrasive-sounding guitars mesh unbelievably well with Nic Haberle's fast-paced drumming to create one of the most mosh-worthy singles of 2022. The lyrics that seemingly took over the internet upon this tune's release, "click click, ouss ouss", make sitting still as I write this increasingly difficult. Ex-Crystal Lake vocalist Ryo Kinoshita chimes in towards the outro to wrap the song up on an incredibly heavy note.

https://youtu.be/xymgQGVAtF4

Continuing where the previous track left off, 'Black Rot' ebbs and flows, creating space for a beautifully done chorus that consists of both Mikey and The Last Martyr's Monica Strut; it's sonic bliss, Bravo! The mere mention of Left To Suffer vocalist Taylor Barber's name usually denotes the heaviest sounds imaginable, which is why I was surprised by the melodic nature of 'New Order'. Arthur shows off his new abilities as a clean vocalist, which works incredibly well with the beefy guitars. Haberle's drumming is consistently impressive, with this being a prime example. Never is his input over the top or underwhelming, but instead flows nicely, creating an enjoyable listening experience. Opening with a fun two-step drum fill, 'Clutch' pushes the tempo back into fifth gear. Intricate, fast-paced guitar riffs fill the space and builds anticipation for the chorus where Amelia Duffield flourishes, delivering a blistering vocal effort, leaving me wondering which band we’ll hear her in soon.

https://youtu.be/_lBBUlIqQuE

Continuing on the trend of melodic choruses, thanks to Arthur's clean vocal range, we are brought to 'Pandora's Box'. Lauren Babic of Red Handed Denial adds her input flawlessly, adding another layer to the many dynamics on this album. The album style changes on 'Behemoth' and 'Gravity', where Arthur exercises a fast-paced, raspy rap. He is proving to be a world-class vocalist on this LP. Every vocal style he attempts, he nails.

Giant industrial-sounding guitar chugs complement Arthur's vocal style, proving that this band is a well-oiled machine, with no one component outweighing the other. 'Red Clouds' continues this group's new trend of soft, melodic-focused tracks, fuelled mainly by Crystal Joilena and Elijah Witt of Cane Hill, both incredible clean vocalists, displaying their talent without holding back. A groovy guitar solo from now ex-member Matt Stevens adds colour to this offering as it goes into completion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vYvl6o8-3Q

'Nor Hell A Fuy' takes us back to the heavy roots we know these guys love to play. Arthur returns to those fast-paced unclean vocals while the instrumentals give me a sensory overload. The guitars and drums mesh together beautifully, creating space for this heavy masterpiece to unfold. The almighty Ryan Kirby of Fit For A King joins in on the already massive lineup of guest vocalists for 'Gatekeeper'. For the most part, this song remains unchanged. Mikey tells his story through his clean vocals up until the point of Kirby's input, which is most welcomed. Closing out the album is 'Hail To The King', retaining the nature of the previous track, including keys. Chunky guitar riffs take hold of this track until the end which also features a beast of an appearance from Joe Badolato of Fit For An Autopsy.

The Gloom In The Corner has made a record that not only introduces many different elements than what they are known for, but they have nailed the entire process. The inclusion of multiple big-name guest vocalists doesn't take away from the group's work, but rather enhances it.