FIVE MINUTES WITH
ADAM ZAARS TRIBULATION
They might have lost their chief songwriter, but the future is bright for goth metal stars Tribulation
WORDS: CATHERINE MORRIS
You’ve recently released the Hamartia EP. Why an EP, and why now?
“We had a switch in members with Jonathan [Hultén] leaving and Joseph [Tholl] coming in on guitar, and we wanted Joseph to be part of the songwriting without doing a full album right away, so an EP felt like a good choice. We wanted to give ourselves a soft start with this new incarnation of the band.”
Jonathan was one of the band’s chief songwriters – how difficult was it writing without him?
“I always felt confident that we’d be able to continue and that we’d always find whatever makes Tribulation, Tribulation in my songs. The most fun thing with this session was working with Joseph again – we’ve been playing music together since we were kids, so we know each other really well and he brought a new kind of energy to the band. Also, because he knows us so well, he’s not afraid to bring ideas to the band even if he thinks we won’t like them. That drives the songs in new directions.”