Rome – Flowers From Exile (2009) [Trisol] // Grade: B+

I know it may seem like I can just naturally can keep up with almost everything going on in music, but I can’t and sometimes rely on friends and other people to guide me towards something I may like but not know of. Recently one of our artists brought up Rome in a conversation assuming I knew who they were, but my knowledge on the Martial Industrial & Apocalyptic Folk scene of the past decade is almost non-existent. So I decided to take him up on his recommendation and sought out some releases from the Luxembourg band.

Flowers From Exile is Rome’s 4th full-length album in what I’ve come to find is an extremely impressive catalog whose Death by June influence is worn like a proudly earned badge. With Flowers From Exile, Rome releases their most realized and challenging outing of their young career.  While Rome’s lyrical scope on Flowers From Exile may still share a lot in common with that Douglas P’s the music is more open to experimenting with who they are as a band. The gentle acoustic guitars and atmospheric tape-loops are now met with the worldly and exotic elements usually reserved for crooners like Nick Cave, Leonard Cohn & Tom Waits. Rome’s willingness to transcend being simply another Martial act gives way to not only an esoteric depth but the sort of haunting charm that’s long been lost from bands mining this sound.

- My Pal the Crook