ALBUM REVIEW: Sulphur Aeon, "The Scythe of the Cosmic Chaos"

By: Conor O’Dea

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 21/12/2018

Label: Van Records

It is dynamic, transporting, deeply mature and brilliantly executed.  “Scythe of the Cosmic Chaos” easily ranks among the top albums of 2018.

“The Scythe of the Cosmic Chaos” CD//DD//2LP track listing:

1. Cult of Starry Wisdom
2. Yuggothian Spell
3. The Summoning of Nyarlathotep
4. Veneration of the Lunar Orb
5. Sinister Sea Sabbath
6. The Oneironaut - Haunting Visions Within the Starlit Chambers of Seven Gates
7. Lungs Into Gills
8. Thou Shalt Not Speak His Name (The Scythe of Cosmic Chaos)

The Review: 

"... The walls melted away, and I was swept by a black wind through gulfs of fathomless grey with the needle-like pinnacles of unknown mountains miles below me. After a while there was utter blackness, and then the light of myriad stars forming strange, alien constellations."

- H.P. Lovecraft, "The Book"

It is nearly impossible for me to relate how I came to be here, in this state, near mad and plagued by nightmares. A fragment of the cosmos according to Azathoth, a cthonic gospel in eight blasphemous hymns, has fallen into my hands in the course of my pursuit of things hidden and forbidden, and I havelistened, listened to the void and have become damnedI am forced into this account because other listeners may well refuse to follow my advice without knowing why. Let me pray that, if I do not survive this review, that my editors may put caution before audacity and see that this music greets no other ear without an awareness of the perils embedded therein. 

Sulphur Aeon are the primus inter pares of the extreme metal heralds that dare to bring us tales of Lovecraft's disordered, nihilistic and meaningless universe. “Sulphur Psalms” (2010) already bares the tell-tale traces of the mental and emotional scars associated with too many encounters with damned incanabula and unnameable entities, but as witnesses of horrors as opposed to the evangelists of those same abominations. 

“Deep Down They Sleep” (2012) is demonstrative of men who have immersed themselves too long in knowledges best forgotten and a clear tidal mark of having disturbed things best left asleep. It is in this two-track that we first get a true sense of the esoteric conjurings and depth of atmosphere that the band goes on to deepen in their future albums. There is a first warning of the cavernous oceanic depths and bleak cosmic emptiness that marks the sonic landscapes of both the excellent “Swallowed by the Ocean's Tide” (2013) and the brilliant “Gateway to the Antisphere” (2015), which remains one of my favourite metal albums of the last decade and one that I return to listen to regularly. The band has consistently displayed an unerring capacity to capitalize on their strengths in developing winding, hypnotic melodies and absolutely entrancing atmosphere and ambience; there is little doubt you are in the hands of the preachers of the cosmic chaos itself when you take the time to sit and absorb this music. Each iteration brings new depth, new clarity to their vision, and a renewed sense of awe, wonder and horror for the rapt listener. 

“Scythe of the Cosmic Chaos” opens with the eerie “Cult of Starry Wisdom”, a haunting and ominous track that tells the story of the faithful coming to pledge themselves to Great Old Ones and Outer Gods. There is a beautiful, Pink Floyd-reminiscent segue at the end of this track that leads into the utterly furious “Yuggothian Spell”, a menacing, swirling cyclone of unspeakable magics inspired by Lovecraft's Whisperer in Darkness. The Crawling Chaos himself manifests in the “Summoning of Nyarlathotep”, and evokes the sense of a seeker further imperiling both his mortal soul and immortal mind in contacting this terrible being. 

“Veneration of the Lunar Orb”, likely a reference to Lovecraft and Barlow's superb The Night Ocean brings us back to the edge of the fathomless sea beneath an unspeaking moon. Sulphur Aeon's sepulchral marine gospel continues as the children of Dagon are referenced both in “Sinister Sea Sabbath” and “Lungs into Gills”, a direct encomium to the infamous Shadow over Innsmouth. Shifting into the strange, ethereal realms of Lovecraft's dream-cycle, The prog-inflected “Oneironaut” moves us from the drowned into the dreamed, the multiversal space in which things not dead may eternally lie. The final fury of closing (and title) track “Scythe of the Cosmic Chaos” raises the spectre of the King in Yellow himself, Hastur the Unspeakable, Lord of Carcosa. This is a dramatic and fitting close to the powerful nightmare journey that this album embodies, with a clean vocal ending that brings to mind the gothic baritone of Fields of the Nephilim's Carl McCoy.  

“Scythe of the Cosmic Chaos” is not yet my favourite Sulphur Aeon album, but it is their best. It is dynamic, transporting, deeply mature and brilliantly executed. Profoundly holistic, greater than the sum of its excellent parts, “Scythe of the Cosmic Chaos” easily ranks among the top albums of 2018. 

"And vast infinities away, past the Gate of Deeper Slumber and the enchanted wood and the garden lands and the Cerenerian Sea and the twilight reaches of Inganok, the crawling chaos Nyarlathotep strode brooding into the onyx castle atop unknown Kadath in the cold waste, and taunted insolently the mild gods of earth whom he had snatched abruptly from their scented revels in the marvellous sunset city. 

- H.P. Lovecraft, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath

“The Scythe of the Cosmic Chaos” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Valafar, "Wolfenkind"



By: Richard Maw

 

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 13/11/2018

Label: Independent

 

there are no bad tracks here and over the course of the eight tracks the band have crafted a fine and vicious album. Valafar are a band to watch and they are destined for greater things

 

“Wolfenkind”CD track listing:

 

1). Úlfhéðnar

2). Brotherhood of the Wolf

3). Path of the Warrior

4). Bloody Spoils of War

5). Shunned from the Light

6). The Ballad of Plainfield

7). Odin’s Call

8). Born of the Nine

 

 

The Review:

 

Valafar hail from West Yorkshire and have imbued this Viking/death/metal with a good deal of the grit the region is famed for.  Keighley and surrounding areas would historically have been part of Northumbria in the dark ages, as would (oddly)  a fair bit south of the River Humber as well- everything from Lincoln upwards was firmly Viking territory. It is not so strange, then, that these Yorkshire bruisers would be espousing a Norse doctrine and bringing tracks enthralled to the Ulf/Varg/Ulva in the form of “Brotherhood of the Wolf”.

 

With other tracks named “Path of The Warrior”, “Odin's Call”, “Born of the Nine...” you know what to expect thematically from those titles! Musically, this is absolutely rock solid- good production job, growled vocals, tales of glory and mayhem; it's all here. I suppose as a reference point this is kind of like a death metal Grand Magus. There are cracking riffs to be had here, it's not mindlessly “brutal” as the songs are thought out and the band has brought some seriously groove filled and sludgy riffs.

 

In short, this is not just speed for speed's sake death metal, but neither is it anything less than very heavy. There is something here for fans of death metal, trad metal, thrash metal and even doom metal, as well as Vikings of course. Sound wise, this is perhaps closer to Swe-death than Florida death metal, but Euro death is closer again to the mark. Think Asphyx jamming with Grand Magus via Revel in Fleshor similar and you are getting there.

 

To be clear, there are no bad tracks here and over the course of the eight tracks the band have crafted a fine and vicious album. Valafar are a band to watch and they are destined for greater things- watch this space and get out to see them live when you can. Stirring stuff.

 

“Wolfenkind” is available HERE

 

Band info: facebook

SLUDGECAMP #5: A deep dive into the newest black/death metal releases on Bandcamp w/c 17/08/2018

By: Daniel Jackson

Rebel Wizard

Welp, it didn’t take long, but life got in the way and I missed several weeks worth of “Sludgecamp”. I don’t believe this is going to be a recurring thing, so hopefully I’ll be a lot more consistent from here on in! This week is another largely black metal affair, with a bit of death thrown in for some balance. It’s also heavy on new pre-orders as opposed to albums released this week. As always, I hope you find something to love here!

Released this week:

1). Rebel Wizard, “Voluptuous worship of rapture and response”

This album is garnering plenty of praise and hype, and with good reason! The music is an infectious blend of NWOBHM and black metal, housed within the harsh, fuzzy production B. Nekrasov has favored from the project’s inception. With wild song titles (“Drunk on the wizdom of unicorn semen”, for example) and brilliantly crafted riffs, Rebel Wizardfeels like something of a sure bet, with each new release improving over the last. When you combine this kind of excellent songwriting with flashy lead guitar work, and then wrap it in this kind of bat-shit crazy exterior, the appeal seems so obvious that greater success feels like an inevitably at this point.

2). Ladnah,“Within Dark Realms”

Coming to us from Greece is Ladnah, with the two tracks available offering two very different experiences. “The Awakening”has a very strong Emperor vibe, circa ‘Wrath of the Tyrant’ and the self-titled EP. The other song, “Belial Rises From The East” has much more of a current day Sargeistkind of feel to it, but both are well done. This is a total throwback, and would have fit in amazingly well as one of the super underground bands featured in one of those old Blackened compilations back in the 90s. This is well worth checking out if you have an affinity for that mid to late 90s symphonic black metal sound.

New Reissues on Bandcamp:

3). Mactätus, “Provenance Of Cruelty” (Napalm)

In something of a fun coincidence given the previous band’s similar stylistic choices, underrated symphonic black metallers Mactätus have made their way to bandcamp via their old label home Napalm Records, and they’re ready to rouse your late 90s symphonic black metal nostalgia as only they can. Released originally in 1998, this album strikes a nice balance between the early Emperor material and pre-Galder Dimmu Borgir. 

New Pre-Orders:

4). Dödsrit, ‘Spirit Crusher’(28th of September)

Prosthetic Recordshas been on something of a tear this year with well-regarded albums from Skeletonwitch, Monotheist, and now this week’s Rebel Wizard all under their belts this year. They’re coming back very quickly with another can’t miss album. This time, they’re presenting us with a brand new Dödsrit album; less than a year following their remarkable debut, and the preview song plain old fucking kills. Their last album was on my year end list, and by the sound of this, they’re damn well likely to be there again this year. If you have any interest in atmospheric black metal, crust, or both: buy this. Immediately.

5). Mutilated by Zombies, ‘Scripts of Anguish’(5th of October)

Awesome old school death metal, though of a different sort than you might be thinking. This one should appeal more to the Morrisound, Florida death metal devotees of the world, offering that early Deicide viciousness with the rhythmic chops of prime Dying Fetus and Deeds of Flesh.

6). All My Sins, ‘Pra Sila - Vukov Totem’(23rd of September)

Raging melodic black metal out of Serbia, and self-described as “South Slavic Black Metal Mysticism”. The relentless blasting here is paired with icy tremolo riffs with a touch of folk sprinkled in throughout, with the end result approaches something like the current day Finnish black metal sound, only at hyperspeed and with a cleaner production. “Vetrovo Kolo”, the song available to preview, rarely stops long enough to let you catch your breath, but the ride is well worth the exhaustion.

Band info: Ladnah || Mactätus || DODSRIT || Mutilated By Zombies|| All My Sins

ALBUM REVIEW: Extremity, "Coffin Birth"

By: Daniel Jackson

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 20/07/2018

Label: 20 Buck Spin

To put out an album that stands out in what feels like a tidal wave of high quality releases is no small achievement, and the band should feel immense pride in what they’ve created here. This is mandatory listening.

‘Coffin Birth’ CD//LP//CS//DD track listing:

1. Coffin Birth / A Million Witches

2. Where Evil Dwells

3. Grave Mistake

4. Umbilicus

5. For Want of a Nail

6. Occision

7. Like Father like Son

8. Misbegotten / Coffin Death

The Review:

As seems to happen every so often, we’re in the midst of a gigantic death metal resurgence. Top notch albums are coming out from across the globe and the songwritings as good as it’s ever been. The added benefit this time around is that it isn’t all from one particular sub-style. In the past we’ve seen resurgences in early Incantation worship, Stockholm sweddeath, and others beyond. This time around, it just seems as though death metal as a whole is experiencing an uptick, with a number of bands putting it all together at the same time, across a range of styles.

In a way, Extremity embodies the entirety of death metal’s 2018 rebirth. The sonically massive recording, the inclusion of a wide range of influences, but all under death metal’s larger umbrella. As the album goes along, the songs invoke something familiar, but never outright worshipping a specific band. You’ll hear something that would feel at home on a Bolt Throweralbum, or something that would feel at home on a Carnage or Unleashed album, and even early Deathrears its head in some of the harmonized guitar leads. On ‘Coffin Birth’, Extremity takes all of these different sounds, and brings them together into a single, cohesive whole, and it fucking rules.

Each song on ‘Coffin Birth’ feels like a journey, rather than a compilation of great riffs. The band rarely ever dwell on the same idea for long, and each new place a song end up keeps the song interesting. Just looking at “For Want of a Nail” as an example: the song opens up with a lurching, climbing double kick section, before the tempo kicks up somewhat as twisting, limber riffs keep up with Aesop Dekker’s thrashy beat. After that, the song launches into an utterly crushing breakdown, in which Aesop Dekker’s masterful sense of groove and feel take center stage, the moment made all the more powerful by a breakdown riff that’s up there with “Master Butcher’s Apron” off of Carcass’ ‘Surgical Steel’, meaning it’s among the best of this decade. That’s not to mention the fantastic solo work that immediately follows, though I’m not certain which guitarist to credit Marissa Martinez-Hoadley or Shelby Lermo for it.

There’s so much going on in each and every song, and none of it ever feels forced, nor do the transitions ever feel unnatural. Each song is an ever-mutating creature unto itself and yet unified as one greater whole. ‘Coffin Birth’ is the work of musicians who’re at the height of their creative powers, standing out and claiming their own piece of an exceptional time in death metal history. To put out an album that stands out in what feels like a tidal wave of high quality releases is no small achievement, and the band should feel immense pride in what they’ve created here. This is mandatory listening.

‘Coffin Birth’ is available digitally on CD, LP, or Cassette here.

Band info: Facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Inexorum, "Lore of the Lakes"

By: Daniel Jackson

Album Type:Full Length

Date Released:27/07/2018

Label:Gilead Media

This is an exceptionally composed and fully realized project. This is one person putting together all of these different elements and insuring that they work together to create something powerful in unison and for that reason I can’t recommend this album to you highly enough. 

‘Lore of the Lakes’ LP//DD track listing:

1. Raging Hearts

2. Let Pain Be Your Guide

3. Years in Exile

4. To Omega

5. Lore of the Lakes

The Review:

‘Lore of the Lakes’ feels like an album made specifically with me in mind. Its sound, courtesy of Inexorum’ssole member Carl Skildum, is a rich mixture of melodic black metal and melodic death metal. It’s a style that mixes the deep sorrowful melodies of bands like Sacramentum and Vinterland, and reinforces those melodies with the heavier death metal side of things, like an In Aeternum or early God Dethroned. But these comparisons are only to get you in the general ballpark; Inexorum has a sound all its own.

‘Lore of the Lakes’ has what I like to call a “world building sound”. The trem-picked melodies here are the kind of atmospheric that has more to do with creating images of natural landscapes or fanciful scenes in your mind than it does with keyboards or heavy effects on the guitars. It’s in that sense that this album displays just how beautiful extreme music can be. Even as the opening moments of “Raging Hearts” see the drums blasting away in properly brutal fashion, the guitars weave their way through the beat in a way that evokes a sort of melancholy fantasy. The locomotive double bass that follows is complemented by fretwork that is more nimble than before, and it all builds to an emotional climax of harmonized guitar leads that soar atop the commotion beneath them.

That’s just one specific example of something that is true of the whole album: this is an exceptionally composed and fully realized project. This is one person putting together all of these different elements and insuring that they work together to create something powerful in unison. Even at what is often an unrelenting pace, the music takes on different dimensions, sometimes feeling hopeful or driven, others feeling even whimsical. But the heart of the album is the sense of wonder it creates, bringing the listener into a world built with evocative chords and harmonies. That it does this despite being largely a guitar/bass/drums-centric affair speaks volumes about Skildum’s ability and imagination.

So yeah, ‘Lore of the Lakes’ is fucking great. It’s the kind of album that made me want to yammer on incoherently about worlds and fantasy and whatever the hell else. And when an album makes you want to talk about the deeper emotional and cognitive impact of music, even if you’re woefully ill-equipped, as I am, then it has to be an album worth investigating. There are scores of albums with great riffs. But it’s not every day you have an album come your way that actually encourages you to use your own imagination as you listen to it. And if that’s something you value; I can’t recommend this album to you highly enough.

‘Lore of the Lakes’is availablehere

Band info: Facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Ravens Creed, "Get Killed or Try Dying"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 02/08/2018

Label: Xtreem Music

Total misanthropy. That's what sums up Ravens Creed. This is masterful thrash/death metal for people who hate everything and/or like Venom

“Get Killed or Try Dying” CD//DD track listing:

1). Intro – Unrelenting Extremity

2). Dead Bird on Winchester Street

3). Death on a Rival

4). Get Killed or Try Dying

5). Hymn or Hearse

6). Off with their Legs

7). Treacherous Rector

8). Rats Beneath Our Feet

9). Remember the Hammer

10). Sound of Sirens

11). When a Deaf Man Goes Blind

12). The Trauma of Being Haunted

13). Outro

The Review:

Ravens Creed have always been a feral and vicious beast, but this album sees them return with a new level of aggression and power. After the knockout one-two combination of “Albion Thunder” and then “The Power”, their third record “Ravens Krieg” suffered a little in terms of songs. No such issue here: once again it is just wall to wall riffs from Iron Monkey's Steve Watson. The songs all clock in short and are tightly wound.

Rod Boston and Jay Graham supply a lock tight rhythm section and Al Osta's sandpaper growl compliments this full metal racket perfectly. You get thirteen tracks, all around the two or three minute mark, non stop thrash/death metal with no pretensions whatsoever.

What are Ravens Creed in this for? World domination? No. They hardly play any gigs, aren't interested in promoting themselves and are unlikely to trouble the promoters of Download any time soon. Extremity, then? Pushing the musical boundaries? Not really- there are really catchy elements to most tracks here and the riffs are the work of a true master craftsman. I can only conclude that it's just pure hatred keeps them going.

Total misanthropy. That's what sums up Ravens Creed. That and pun ridden song titles, of course. Masterful thrash/death from the East Midlands by way of West Yorkshire. For people who hate everything and/or like Venom.

“Get Killed or Try Dying” is available to pre-order/buy here

Band info: facebook|| bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Churchburn, “None Shall Live… The Hymns of Misery”

By: Mark Ambrose

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 13/07/2018

Label: Armageddon Shop

 Churchburn return with more relentless nihilism, it is apocalyptically ambitious and the music is as rabidly unholy as their name would suggest.

“None Shall Live… The Hymns of Misery”CS//CD//DD//LP track listing

1. Vexare

2. Lines of Red

3. Misery Hymns

4. Authorized to Cleanse

5. Before the Inferno

6. Relieved by Burning Lead

7. Kaustos

The Review:

In 2014, Rhode Island’s Churchburnunleashed “The Awaiting Coffins” – one of the heaviest, most auspicious debuts in sludge.  With a pedigree that included members of Vital Remains and Grief, the accomplished musicianship wasn’t a surprise – it was the sheer fucking menace that did me in.  The riffs, the production, the punishing rhythms and drum work all coalesced into one of my favorite go-to records.  But with four years and a lineup change, there was, perhaps, the troubling thought that Churchburn would be another one of those miraculous one-and-done projects.  Thankfully, with “None Shall Live… The Hymns of Misery”, Churchburn returns with more relentless nihilism than I’d thought possible.  If anything, this is more apocalyptically ambitious, with consistent audio references to natural disaster: waves crashing, winds shrieking, and always the agonized mass of human voices.  And as for the music… Well damn, it’s as rabidly unholy as their name would suggest.

From the seething, crackling ambient nightmare tones of “Vexare”, Churchburn establish “…The Hymns of Misery” as a production layered with pure filth.  The repeated, dirge like riff is vaguely industrial and overtly terrifying – I imagined planetary siege engines, powdered bones trailing behind, crackling through a domain of carbonized waste.  After that intro, the chiming, watery lead guitar of “Lines of Red”belies the real songwriting chops underneath the Churchburnchaos.  There are hooks and harmonies that symphonic posers would love to copy, but these moments are all the more stellar when juxtaposed with the fried, chugging rhythm lines.  Dave Suzuki’s demonic vocal delivery is uniformly unhinged, conveying pure rage at one moment and abject despair in the next.  And the guitar solo on this one is sheer death shred mastery, before the finale of ignorant headbanging perfection.  The contrasts between the ethereal (clean guitar lines and spare, distant samples) and thick, crushing dissonance makes “Misery Hymns”another compelling trek through hopelessness; the plodding trudge that gives way to an epic finale is one of my favorite moments on record this year.

If there’s one element self-appointed “brutal” bands sometimes lack, its virtuosity.  In that respect, Churchburn are astounding outliers, not only for their shred and groove bona fides, but their facility with genre warping and tonal shifts.  “Authorized to Cleanse” and “Before the Inferno” center around guitar pyrotechnics, but they are so tonally distinct it’s mind boggling.  While “…Cleanse” glides between harmonies and neo-classical progressions, and borders on elegant black metal bombast, “…Inferno” is more distinctly avant garde, using Eastern scales on top of groove oriented heavy blues sludge.  Beneath this riff-worship, the rhythm section is relentless, smashing out blast beats, looser classic doom, tribal sounds and inhuman industrial beats, rooted by thick, gnarly bass tones.  “Relieved by Burning Lead” serves as the apotheosis of the record, opening with a haunting spoken word intro before launching into a chilling anti-human anthem.  The winding melodies, throat shredding vocals, double kick onslaughts, even frantic basslines (!) – each time I queue up this track I can feel my blood pressure rising, my BPM slowly sliding into the red.  It’s an ordeal of a song, but I find myself blasting it over and over again, as if I can somehow inure myself to its corrosive power.  Closing track "Kaustos" acts as a parallel of “Vexare” – another dark slab of instrumental metal that is somehow more mournful than the industrial inhumanity of Vexare.  This feels like a requiem.

“None Shall Live… The Hymns of Misery” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Zombiefication, "Below The Grief"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 16/07/2018

Label: Doomentia Records

The very best death metal bands sound disparate from one another and Zombiefication manage to inject a whole lot of blackened sounding passages into their aural assault.  For quality and unique death metal, look no further that Zombiefication

“Below The Grief” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Blood Falls

2). Deliverance from the Astral Sea

3). Echoes of Light

4). Death to its Son

5). Heavy is the Crown

6). Hunger Undying

7). Sky Burial

The Review:

Four years after “Procession Through Infestation” and Five years after the absolute masterpiece of “At The Caves Of Eternal”, Mexico's finest death metal export return with seven tracks of gnarly blackened death metal. Once again, the focus is not on pro-tooled perfection, but is more towards a dark atmosphere and real sounding drums.

The sound is cavernous and the band has retained their unique and chaotic sound. I noted last time around that Zombiefication don't really sound like any other death metal band out there and this is a huge strength. The very best death metal bands sound disparate from one another (you'd never mistake Obituaryfor Deicide) and Zombieficationmanage to inject a whole lot of blackened sounding passages into their aural assault.

Opener “Blood Falls”is fast and furious, “Deliverance From The Astral Sea” is tempered by slower riffing and is hugely listenable with its fast passages and even a creepy clean section. Huge drums open up “Echoes of Light” and the band deliver a genuinely sinister atmosphere along with a grinding chug. The eight and a half minute epic “From Death To Its Son” is the album's centrepiece and essentially it combines all the good aspects of the band and throws them into one track- the atmosphere, riffing, sound, anguished vocals and overall effect are great.

From thereon, the album throws another three tracks at the listener- varied in their approach but consistent in their dark atmospherics. “Heavy Is the Crown” is dark and features an experimental production with serious use of dynamics. “Hunger Undying” is similarly tar-like in vibe and execution with thick blast sections. The album finishes with “Sky Burial” which is as appropriate a way as any to finish this deliciously dark and deep record.

For quality and unique death metal, look no further. Viva Zombiefication!

“Below The Grief” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Tomb Mold, "Manor of Infinite Forms"

By: Mark Ambrose

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released:08/06/2018

Label: 20 Buck Spin

“…through sheer inertia and boundless enthusiasm, Tomb Mold have gone from impressive acolytes to new standard bearers in death metal.”

“Manor of Infinite Forms” CD//DD//LP track listing

1. Manor of Infinite Forms

2. Blood Mirror

3. Abysswalker

4. Final Struggle of Selves

5. Gored Embrace (Confronting Biodegredation)

6. Chamber of Sacred Ootheca

7. Two Worlds Become One

The Review:

If past years have been hallmarks for North Amercianblack metal, North American doom, North American sludge and the various permutations, 2018 may be a new high water mark for underground North American Death Metal.  While the stalwarts of the genre have bounced back some in recent years, the current class of death metal freshmen have been conjuring albums that are among the best the genre has ever unleashed.  Genocide Pact, Gatecreeper, and Of Feather and Bone are putting out some of the balls to the wall best metal in the US of rotten A, while Canada’s Tomb Mold has, with “Manor of Infinite Forms”, crafted a contender for personal favorite of 2018.  Indebted to genre legends but forging its own unholy amalgam of complex riffs and memorable hooks, Tomb Mold have a massive slab with their second full-length and debut on 20 Buck Spin.

Primary songwriter and guitarist Derrick Vella loads the title track with snaky, infectious leads.  Drummer/vocalist Max Klebanoff pulls off remarkable kitwork that runs the gamut from headspinning blasts to punky gallops, with some remarkable fills thrown in for good measure.  While Tomb Mold borders on progressive death metal, and the leads have a refreshing level of clarity (shred worshipers will have two new icons with Vella and second guitarist Payson Power), there is a stomach churning element of crusty decay seeping through the shimmering technical prowess.  When the bridge of “Blood Mirror” slows to a crawl, then gradually ratchets back to midtempo bashing, it’s pure Neanderthal magic. “Final Struggle of Selves” is a perfect martial anthem for the ignorant orcs out there, with a solid, dirty bassline that highlights the sonic balance the quartet has mastered: high leads anchored by thick low end.

Can I mention the remarkable storytelling on display here?  Because Tomb Mold’s wicked lyrical descriptions are cosmic horror that I generally have to turn to Lovecraft or Ligotti or Kiernan to approximate.  The denizens of the Tomb Mold universe inhabit dead planets, unholy underworld dominions, infected by unimaginable decay and contemplating sheer nihilistic terrors.  “Chamber of Sacred Ootheca”, a vicious chugging assault loaded with chaotic guitar work, also has some truly harrowing imagery: “Harness the cosmos from within / This hidden planet / Awaken / Reanimate the remaining petrified / Realign the signals / Usher in the age of universal torment / Hear the calls”.  Klebanoff’s vocal placement in the mix is perfect – just distant enough to be eerie, but also intelligible (with a lyric sheet firmly in hand anyway).  Album closer “Two Worlds Become One” acts as a perfect apotheosis for the Canadian wizards.  Vella displays his prog bona fides with a haunting classical guitar intro, before delving into a nightmare tale of demonic ascension.  Vella and Power craft sinister harmonies, Musgrave lays out precise bass work, and Klebanoff’s maniac drumming and curdled screams elevate the 8 minute closer to genuine epic status. 

It’s hard to describe why it all works so well.  There are homages to Finnish death metal (like the weird, wonderful Demilich) running through Tomb Mold’s oeuvre, as well as a general obsession with horror fantasy imagery that is fully realized and rarely cliché.  What I’ve gathered from Tomb Moldis total sincerity – these guys put out tons of songs in two short years because they are in love with this brutal, old school, gnarly, weirdly catchy riff-oriented metal.  It shows on all their prior releases.  But with “Manor of Infinite Forms” they’ve broken through to a new level.  Maybe it’s the addition of Power and Musgrave on their first full-length (all work prior to “Cryptic Transmissions” was recorded as a two-piece).  Maybe it’s the step up in production.  But I think it’s also that through sheer inertia and boundless enthusiasm, Tomb Mold have gone from impressive acolytes to new standard bearers in death metal.  With the pace of their output and the abundance of riffs they seem to have on hand, there is a wide, dark universe these guys can explore for decades to come.  I think, somehow, this is only the first phase of a stellar discography.

“Manor of Infinite Forms” is available here

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook