Scattered Purgatory (破地獄) – ‘Post Purgatory’ album review: A defiant return
Post Purgatory is an apt title for an album born from strife. Lu Li-Yang and Lu Jiachi, the duo known as Scattered Purgatory (破地獄), have returned after a three-year hiatus following the pandemic, honing their eclectic sound as it is rooted in Taiwanese occult metal.
The Skinny: Where the future is concerned, Scattered Purgatory may be unsure of what it will hold, but the songs that signal their shift into Post Purgatory attempt to parse through the fear, resulting in beacons for a decaying world. The duo remain fixated on the concept of time – “it can heal, or it can destroy,” they say of their album’s impetus – and as each song flows into the next, they are resoundingly atmospheric and dangerous, lurking as though they anticipate a menacing force that looms ahead, clouded by the unknown.
There is an anxiety coursing through each chord on the record, but from the opening churn of the guitars on ‘Atata Naraka (聚牙地獄 )’, Scattered Purgatory are prepared to combat it with an imposing concoction of sounds that act as their defence.
Post Purgatory is a multilingual album, with Scattered Purgatory incorporating Taiwanese, traditional Chinese and English in their lyrics. The compositions on the record have a cinematic sheen, fit to score a dystopian landscape. ‘Wunai (無奈)’ approaches with a slithering bassline, at once sinister and enticing. They oscillate from doom and occult metal to trip hop to jazz melodies woven in between. Even on the album’s more languid moments, soundtracked by sprawling riffs and echoing drones, they command your attention with every hypnotising beat.
There is an intriguing duality that courses through the album: their sonic landscapes are reminiscent of the electronic ambience of the late 1990s and the new millennium, defined in an age where technology was dually welcome and suspect.
At the same time, however, Scattered Purgatory are fixated on what is to come next, and their compositions mirror a curiosity that is resilient. Their sound is difficult to define, and in this enigma lies its beauty. As time continues to come into question, they have curated a fitting vision for their return, inhabiting a sound that exists between worlds.
On ‘Moonquake (月之下)’, a gentler moment on Post Purgatory, charming vocals from Hsuang Chang (of the Taiwanese experimental pop group I’mdifficult) narrate the journey of a strange creature that has “abandoned its skin,” the haunting ‘tick tock’ sound of her mechanical heart mimicking time as it circles back, as always.
“She’s been following patterns,” she sings, questioning, “Does this all have a meaning?” In their expansive approach, Scattered Purgatory tackle this question, with each beat growing in strength as they face whatever may come next.
The Verdict: Scattered Purgatory may be searching for their own meaning, in the midst of the chaos that permeates the world. In their pursuit, they’ve created something greater, channelling the perils of reality into a collection of songs that, whether grounded in darkness or grasping towards the light, represent a defiant growth.
Standout track: ‘Moonquake (月之下)’
Release Date: January 30th, 2026 | Producer: 破地獄 Scattered Purgatory | Label: Guruguru Brain
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