Local Review: Runestomper — Trials, Pt. II

Runestomper
Trials, Pt. II
Cyborg Records
Street: 06.08.2025
Runestomper = Delirium + Wendy Carlos + Heilung

Futuristic beat-making seems to be a specialty for the newly handfasted duo of Lizz Blount and Chris Herrera. They make up Salt Lake City’s very own Runestomper. The busy couple has played many local festivals like the Craft Lake City DIY Festival and has also participated in the global event Virtual Temple. It amazes me that the couple had time to release their follow up to Trials, Pt. I. The album is filled to the brim with experimental synthesizer sounds that make you want to move.

Trials, Pt. II is almost entirely instrumental, which lends itself to creating a soundtrack for the person listening to it. It took me on a futuristic journey as well as a trip into the past. When I hit play on this release I was immediately thrown into a pool of memories. “The Quest” is very reminiscent of the soundtracks of ‘80s video games — not in the chiptune genre, but something more aggressive and darker. I envisioned myself playing the retro video game Spy Hunter, preparing to knock out my enemies with my oil slick button, or possibly riding one of the light bikes in the game Tron.

“Dark Shit” caught my attention with its seductive beat and made me want to move my hips from side to side. Combine that with cymbal clinks and you have a polished stripper song. It has a futuristic sound to it with ethereal properties that would make a great soundtrack for a movie involving intimacy with the lead roles. This track left me yearning for more with its time stamp of two minutes and 45 seconds. There is room for evolution here, so maybe there will be a Trials, Pt. III, and hopefully they revisit it. I would call it an unfinished masterpiece. It really is a great track.

Herrera has a strong connection to his guitar, and you can hear it showcased after a brief ethereal opening in Trials, Pt. II. He shreds with something you would expect to hear at any industrial metal show. It builds aggression and makes me want to headbang, yet it returns to Empyrean styles with the track’s ethereal planescape for closure.

Both Herrera and Blount sing on the track “Among The Stars” — the layered effects on the vocals sound ghostly and celestial, which fit perfectly with the song’s title. The soundscape is also airy and sublime. Once again, you can hear Herrera’s guitar strength with the dominant riff. The layered effects and vocals make this track my favorite. It is aggressive yet melodic, which appeases even the most particular ear.

The haunting opening and multiple layers and styles of sound in “Where We Belong” tease the ears as it pans from left to right. It is subtle, building slowly and filling you with anticipation. The listening experience is best  through headphones: Just close your eyes and listen so you can hear every fascinating detail.

There are not a lot of vocals on this release, but Trials, Pt. II rewards the listener with music that they can dive into. This creates a personal path and connection to the band’s sound. The adventure is yours to take, rather than a specific story from the artist that created it. This is an amazing release that focuses on synthetic beats. I enjoyed the audible journey it took me on, but I wish it would have been much longer. —Mistress Nancy

Read more local reviews from SLUG:
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