Review by Xephyr for Inter Arma - Paradise Gallows (2016)

Desolately Beautiful

I've found that as an avid fan of music I envy others that can become so invested in the medium. There's this raw emotional attachment and passion towards music that I see in others as they talk about how their favorite albums helped them through hard times or facilitated some epiphany about life. I was avidly involved in my college’s radio station with my own three-hour show, so it’s quite possible that music has become a bit of a job for me at this point, preventing me from becoming fully engaged or enamored. However, I’ve come to realize that this somewhat jadedness towards music creates some magical moments when a release does hit me with any serious emotion. Inter Arma’s Paradise Gallows turned out to be one of those releases.

I found Inter Arma through Sulphur English and quickly realized I needed to check out the rest of their discography. While Sulphur English is a maelstrom of burning fury, Paradise Gallows is a desolately textured soundscape of sludgy beauty. The contradictory title itself implies the duality this album conveys; a chaotic and depressing but beautiful landscape that stretches past the horizon. Heavy and crushing riffs resolve into tranquil progressive melodies that somehow mesh together to create the gorgeous but deathly world depicted on the cover art.

Since this is a sludge metal album at heart, every riff on this album is extremely crushing and well put together. Inter Arma know how to take their time with how they compose their songs, which give their riffs tons of impact. Every riff has a purpose as well, with each song building into well-written climaxes that give the feeling that each track deserves to be ten or so minutes long. Paradise Gallows never sits idle and is always progressing towards something, which creates a tangible journey through the album. Tracks like “Transfiguration” and “Violent Constellations” show a more chaotic side to Paradise Gallows, replacing the sludgy riffs with furious tremolo picking and an overall feeling of disorder. Sections like these are important to create a contrast between the chaotic and calm sections of the album, making both hit harder. “Paradise Gallows” and “Where the Earth Meets the Sky” show Inter Arma’s more progressive side, with “Paradise Gallows” being the most atmospheric track. The vocal performance and lyrics leading up to the climaxes they create are unreal, but especially on “Paradise Gallows”. There’s also this sort of Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon effect going on with how their clean guitars sound throughout the album and it’s perfect for building the kind of atmosphere and world that they were going for on this album. That small addition of progressiveness amidst the sludge does wonders for the overall feel of the album.

This is the complete package when it comes to an atmospheric sludge metal release. Paradise Gallows takes its time but knows what to do with that space it creates, with varying vocal performances and incredible climaxes. It creates a desolate soundscape that is somehow still beautiful in its chaos. The album never breaks character and is a cohesive journey from beginning to end, all while laying down some of the best riffing and overall composition I’ve heard. This is just one of those albums that you can get completely lost in, and I certainly have.