The Brooklyn based Black Metal band, TOMBS, have released a brand new EP to the Metal genre. The band have progressed their sound from their last album ‘Path of Totality’ and with their new album have shown that the path of black metal is ready to change.
The album is full of songs which show that a black metal can indeed play their instruments well. TOMBS have created an album with great technicality with their instruments. With songs such as ‘Edge of Darkness’ and ‘Spiral,’ TOMBS have displayed to their ever growing hardcore fan base that they can do something progressive with their genre of music.
Reminiscent of marmite, the EP is very much a deal of love or hate. Sometimes there seems a point where you aren’t even sure if you’re enjoying the music. Despite these feelings the instruments are interesting and well played but the vocals are something left to question. The overall tone of the vocals are exactly what you’ve expect from a black metal band in most aspects with that rough around the edge feeling and hopefully they’ll progress over albums to come.
The song that showcases this best is, ‘Deathripper.’ Though the instruments make you feel like you’re in a haunted amusement park, the vocals draw you away from that. This is mainly because the vocals do not connect and fit within the vibe of the instruments. The vocals are so heavily auto-tuned that it isn’t needed and we’re sure within their genre that the vocals would have been far better left in their natural tone.
All in all, the love or hate it EP, ‘Savage Gold’ has plenty of room for improvement vocal wise but the instruments are a credit to the album which could have droned on. It will be a great visual to see the band try something new again, and see if this time it works in their favour.
