Album Review: Trails of Anguish – Scathed Gaping Misery
Reviewed by Rick Eaglestone
The now defunct Canadian black metal duo Trails Of Anguish have put together a final output compiling the bands only two EPs ever released Scathed Gaping Misery.
Taking up the lions share of the release are the six tracks from 2001’s Relentless Abhorrence Of Misery's Grievance. Opener Beyond Charismatic Sickness is an unrelenting and visceral attack on the senses and honestly The Scythe Of Engrieved Melancholia does little to quell that intensity, the guitars dominate this particular track with a wave of maniacal musicianship which has to be appreciated no matter how blistering – there are also elements in that are very much prevalent into today’s scene.
Moving onto Laments of Martyrised Innocence there are the subtle beginnings of atmospherics trying to break away from the annihilating, snarling nature of the release overall. Reaping Life's Frailty brings an unholy and blasphemous tone and paired with one of the longer tracks ...And Desolated Trails Of Anguish easily solidifies this. Ending with stark contrast on Useless (The Final Soliloquy) this instrumental finale still manages to offer a bleak and mournful soundscape.
Continuing with the EP merge are the two tracks from 2003’s follow-up Scarred Memento. Haunting immediately strikes me from a production value as it has an overall grandeur presentation and although Spectral Life Scars very much follows suit it does bring with it the rawness from the previous EP.
Now, from that point is where the story of Trails Of Anguish has all but ended with their fury and live fire unceremoniously fading away but, maybe there is hope deep rooted in those embers because also included on this release is title track Scathed, Gaping Misery which feels like an old demo tape dug up from the 90’s its gritty yet the rain and keyboards added in at the end want to desperately want more of what has just been presented through the speakers and is is then followed by the even more intriguing Rebirth which almost feels like a hidden track because for at least half of the time there is nothing but silence then the listener is treated to something which almost feels like a spoiler in some parts as neither of these two tracks appear on previous offerings so who knows it could just be that this unassumingly innocent compilation could be the 21 years of anger and reclusion manifesting into something for the modern black metal scene to revere with a nostalgic nod to the old raw ways
Before this release this was a band that passed me by so to have something like this presented in the way is great so it has been nice to have this be my first delve into Trails Of Anguish but if the inclusion of last two tracks are to be included with something in the future then I will be ready and invested should that day come.
