Svarta Havet – Månen Ska Lysa Din Väg Review

By Kenstrosity

Hailing from Turku, Finland, post-hardcore/blackened post-punk activists Svarta Havet boast a passionate mission statement focused on denouncing fascism; raising connected communities; advocating queer, feminist, and transgender rights and justice; rejecting late-stage capitalist values and recognizing their wide reaching damages to society and the planet; and supporting animal rights. Oftentimes, material dealing with these ideals in the heavy music space trend towards the cynical, hopeless, and bitter perspectives. Those are all valid emotional responses of course, but for Svarta Havet, the primary message is one of hope. These Finns truly believe humanity can turn it around, and make the right choices together to one day repair our connection to ourselves as human beings, to the Earth as stewards of its land and inseparable members of the greater ecosystem, and to our communities as social creatures who thrive together and not apart.

It’s this message that drew me to Svarta Havet, at Steel’s recommendation, having never heard a note of their music before. What I beheld in their sophomore record, Månen Ska Lysa Din Väg, is exactly what my promo says on the tin. Post-punk and post-hardcore, with a blackened char. Comparisons to Oathbreaker, Unfurl, and early Downfall of Gaia fit right at home within Svarta Havet’s, albeit more stripped-down interpretation of the style. Building bridges between airy atmosphere and driven, punky attitudes, Månen Ska Lysa Din Väg boasts a variety of moods, textures, and tempos to help enliven each of its tight 37 minutes. At the same time, it sports a bleak, monochromatic tone that grounds its lively performances inside the reality of our world. With this intriguing formula, Svarta Havet achieve a sound rooted in the trials and tribulations of society in the current era while the fire of change, of hope, and of a deep yearning for a better tomorrow roils just underfoot.

Because Svarta Havet designed Månen Ska Lysa Din Väg to deliver hopeful, motivating messaging to its audience, I understood why many of these songs aren’t as aggressive, depressive, or explosive as my aforementioned reference points. When “Härlig Är Jorden” implements a slower, more deliberate motif as its primary structure right after opener “Göm Dig” lays across the landscape its blackened post-punk blade, the intent is clear. Månen Ska Lysa Din Väg is a record for those who wish to listen with an active, open mind, separated from the primal need for relentless riffs and uncompromising violence. As “Avgrunden” and later MENA-influenced cut “Djur” raise themselves above the horizon with looming, overcast moods and textured leads, the grim reality of the world is placed firmly in the foreground. However, interspersed within those themes, a counterpoint of inspirational, almost exuberant tremolos and ascendant atmospheric blooms belie that spirit which is unwilling to yield to the shadows. “Göm Dig” and “Alla Stover” stoke that fire with the most riff-centric material Svarta Havet have to offer in this installment, brimming with a lively swagger and a punky attitude. In this back-and-forth, Månen Ska Lysa Din Väg succeeds in its mission of finding the light in a world that’s lost its way.

The main roadblock to making this record stand out more is one of balance in its compositions. Too often, passages which establish their purpose and achieve their desired effect within the first minute or two extend far past that point, which compromises their impact (“Härlig Är Jorden,” “Ditt Rike”). Sometimes this detrimental quality comes about in the form of a heavy reliance on baseline repetition. Other times, it manifests in a meandering passage whose resolution doesn’t always justify the wait. In other areas, Svarta Havet’s heavier passages can seem overly busy when placed as they are next to more thoughtful pieces (particularly the chorus to “Alla Stover”). Another byproduct of the imbalance Månen Ska Lysa Din Väg carries, the most memorable material leaves very little room for the in-betweens to make a lasting impression. I easily recall “Djur” for its doom-laden riffs and hypnotic depiction of those scenes of war that devastate the same animal ecosystems to which we all intrinsically belong, but I can’t remember a note of its sequel “Under Staden.” This is especially conflicting as “Under Staden” is arguably the more important of the two to Svarta Havet’s mission, spotlighting the remarkable resilience we see in nature, particularly in animals and insects, within sprawling artificial developments.

When the dust settles, and Månen Ska Lysa Din Väg heaves its last blackened breath, I find myself torn. I love the intent and passion Svarta Havet instilled within their sophomore album, and I think this style of music beautifully fits the prompt. However, I yearn to feel an unbridled enthusiasm for Månen Ska Lysa Din Väg that keeps me coming back for more without a second thought. Instead, I feel a respectable excitement for what Svarta Havet might do to develop their material further going forward. So I wait, on the edge of my seat, to hear what they do next.

Rating: Mixed
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Prosthetic Records
Website: facebook.com/svartahafvet
Releases Worldwide: May 9th, 2025

#25 #2025 #BlackMetal #DownfallOfGaia #FinnishMetal #MånenSkaLysaDinVäg #May25 #Oathbreaker #PostBlackMetal #PostHardcore #PostMetal #postPunk #ProstheticRecords #Review #Reviews #SvartaHavet #Unfurl

Tómarúm – Beyond Obsidian Euphoria

By Kenstrosity

Over the past three years, I’ve come to appreciate Tómarúm’s surprising, mature debut Ash in Realms of Stone Icons at a deeper level than I had hoped to reach in the mere two weeks provided at the time. While I stand by my overall score—and by my critiques—my relationship with that record grew more meaningful and rewarding with time. Tómarúm’s spiritually charged, introspective point of view speaks volumes of suffering and strife, while the complexity of their musical compositions reflects in uncompromising clarity the fluid order that governs a turbulent chaos of the soul and of the heart. With this fresh in mind, I approach follow-up Beyond Obsidian Euphoria with great curiosity and equal anticipation.

Occupying a niche of progressive metal most commonly associated with acts like Ne Obliviscaris, but also connected to newer groups such as Amiensus, An Abstract Illusion, and Dawn of Ouroboros, Atlanta quintet Tómarúm boast an especially fluid and emotive sound. Progressive structures and ever-shifting phrases abound, yet never intrude, obstruct, or interrupt. Technical prowess reminiscent of Fallujah and Lunar Chamber creates additional dynamics most noticeably felt in the bass guitar, lead guitar, and drum performances. And, to my great delight, a new twist of machine-gun burst riffing pulled from Warforged‘s I: Voice playbook grants a palpable, terrifying presence. Beyond Obsidian Euphoria takes all of these elements, intrinsic to Tómarúm’s identity, and implements them with the same finesse and refinement of the last record, but with an altogether more hopeful tone. While still dealing with subjects of profound anguish and emotional turmoil, Beyond explores further the catharsis borne of dedicated, dogged persistence against those internal demons which would otherwise have your singular light extinguished from this mortal coil.

Nothing better exemplifies this shift in tone than the one-two punch of standout duo “Shallow Ecstasy” and “Shed This Erroneous Skin.” Epic sweeps of ominous shadow collide with shimmers of brilliance as menacing pummels advance their campaign against soaring leads and righteous solos. Those blackened rasps that voiced past work join the fray again as crooning cleans provide motivating counterpoint to fuel the flame of continuing life. A vivid chiaroscuro of composition personifies every moment across this 16-minute span, but the surrounding environs offer just as many dynamic moments of beauty and beastliness. The remarkably short and savage “Blood Mirage” deals massive damage to the cranium as it executes a brutal assault of riffs and tech-y oscillations, while “Halcyon Memory: Dreamscapes Across the Blue” evokes an Hail Spirit Noir-esque airiness that belies its double-bass propulsion and quasi-bluesy harmonized solos. The gamut of sounds, styles and textures malleate as soft putty in Tómarúm’s talented fingers, which allows their unfaltering focus on story and character to shine ever brighter on Beyond’s second immense suite of epics, “Silver, Ashen Tears” and “The Final Pursuit of Light.” Any impression of bloat falls to the wayside in the face of such nuanced and well-realized musical design, as melody, pace, substance, and technicality find a kaleidoscopic harmony striking in its multifaceted vibrancy.

At just under 70 minutes, Beyond Obsidian Euphoria daunts any audience with a monumental investment. The dividends, however, more than make up for the sacrifice. That is, if the listener is willing and ready to dig deep and find those moments most intimate and vulnerable. That delicate pluck of the string in a phrase flanked by vicious scrapes; the contrabass frequency that stimulates the spine as starry tremolos dot the sky; the desperate howl of pain and of shattered spirit that preludes an epiphany of truth and of healing; the miraculous congregation of hook and sophistication moving in tandem towards a shared apex of sound and story; all find a place in this wonderful piece, and each piece has its place. Unlike my experience with Ash in Realms, my experience with Beyond is one of complete and utter immersion. There is hardly a moment I would change, barely a segment I would cut—save for the fluffy interlude “Introspection III,” appearing too early on to leave a lasting mark by the close.

Occasionally, I find myself unable to dedicate the time necessary to engage with Tómarúm’s latest opus. I expect that others will experience the same unfortunate circumstance. While that certainly poses a question to the value statement of an album this long, specifically because its individual chapters can’t be separated without compromising the integrity of the whole, Beyond Obsidian Euphoria feels like a rare record that needs every second it consumes. The passion and personality Tómarúm exude in this work demands the price of time to bloom. If you give it the space to do so, what awaits can only be described as euphoric.

Rating: Excellent!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Prosthetic Records
Websites: tomarum.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/TomarumBM/
Releases Worldwide: April 4th, 2025

#2025 #45 #AmericanMetal #Amiensus #AnAbstractIllusion #Apr25 #BeyondObsidianEuphoria #BlackMetal #Cormorant #DawnOfOuroboros #DeathMetal #Fallujah #HailSpiritNoir #LunarChamber #MelodicBlackMetal #MelodicDeathMetal #NeObliviscaris #ProgressiveBlackMetal #ProgressiveDeathMetal #ProgressiveMetal #ProstheticRecords #Review #Reviews #TechnicalDeathMetal #Tómarúm #Warforged

Dawn of Ouroboros – Bioluminescence Review

By Killjoy

Bioluminescence describes a chemical reaction occurring within living organisms to produce light. This is an apt metaphor for Oakland, California’s Dawn of Ouroboros and their iridescent combination of two disparate songwriting techniques. According to the promo material, guitarist Tony Thomas1 takes a methodical approach while vocalist Chelsea Murphy frequently lets improvisation take the reins. The results so far have elicited mixed reactions from our writers: Master of Muppets2 sagely noted great potential in their debut, whereas follow-up Velvet Incandescence was largely lost on Itchymenace,3 who found it too stylistically inconsistent. I, however, was less bothered than Itchy by the sharp twists and turns of Velvet Incandescence (it even squeaked into my 2023 top ten(ish) list), so I stood ready to rush to Dawn of Ouroboros’ aid with plenty of cortisone cream for the release of Bioluminescence.

If there’s anything we three reviewers can agree on, Dawn of Ouroboros’ sound is nigh impossible to encapsulate using other bands or even entire subgenres as easy reference points. They mix contemporary black and death metal in a similar manner as Vintersea, but instead of melodeath as a secondary influence, they favor the thoughtful post/prog of Dreadnought. As most bioluminescent life is found in the ocean, the musical tones fittingly evoke aquatic imagery. Many of the vocal and guitar melodies are lush and floaty (“Bioluminescence,” “Slipping Burgundy”). Other times, the rhythm section pulsates alongside spiky synth lines, roiled by fierce growls and screams from above. Though its form differs from album to album, this dichotomy between pacific and tempestuous should feel very familiar to fans of Dawn of Ouroboros.

Bioluminescence is more of an amplification than a reimagining of Dawn of Ouroboros’ polarity. Nowhere is this more evident than in Chelsea Murphy’s multifaceted vocals. She possesses an uncommon ability to switch on a dime between dreamy singing and raw screams–reminding me of Eva Korman (Rolo Tomassi)–and now she pours even more sugar and spice into the mix. Her singing has become quite impassioned, sounding smooth and jazzy in “Slipping Burgundy” and adopting a breathy, almost pleading tone in “Fragile Tranquility.” On the other hand, Murphy’s harsh vocals have become a real force of nature on Bioluminescence, like the upgrading of a tropical storm to a hurricane, and when she unleashes her howling screams (“Nebulae,” “Dueling Sunsets”), they resemble the blinding brightness of burning magnesium. Though her upper limits are undoubtedly awe-inspiring, they can be distracting and, perhaps, a bit too cataclysmic for what this type of music warrants.

Despite the more volatile mood swings than before, Dawn of Ouroboros has found greater overall consistency. Granted, they are still prone as ever to bounce between styles as if flipping through TV channels or radio stations, but on Bioluminescence they drift closer to the death metal side of their persona, finding a happier medium between it and the sprawling post-black of their earlier work. This more straightforward attitude works particularly well on “Static Repetition,” with relentless riffing and drumming that pummel like crashing waves. The tradeoff is that Tony Thomas’ lead guitar melodies that were so untiringly adventurous on Velvet Incandescence are diminished in length and emotional impact. They’re still present on nearly every song, but they seem to be kept on a shorter leash. This may be because the group is down to one guitarist–rhythm guitarist Ian Baker now taking over as bassist–but, whatever the reason, it feels like one of my favorite aspects of Dawn of Ouroboros has been partially eroded.

Nonetheless, I expect that Bioluminescence will be widely regarded as a step up, the greater intensity and emphasis on Murphy’s impressive vocals winning over new fans. While I miss some of the proggy, freewheeling tendencies of Velvet Incandescence, it’s easy to recognize and admire the determination of Dawn of Ouroboros to continually stretch in search of their limits as musicians. They are talented at experimenting while avoiding the “kitchen sink” phenomenon, but those who are, like Itchy, susceptible to stylistic seasickness may still wish to seek smoother sailing elsewhere. As for me, I look forward to what Dawn of Ouroboros cooks up next. They’ve proven that the only thing we can expect from them is the unexpected.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Prosthetic Records
Websites: dawnofouroboros.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/dawnofouroboros
Releases Worldwide: March 7th, 2025

#2025 #35 #AmericanMetal #Bioluminescence #BlackMetal #DawnOfOuroboros #DeathMetal #Dreadnought #Mar25 #PostMetal #ProgressiveDeathMetal #ProgressiveMetal #ProstheticRecords #Review #Reviews #RoloTomassi #Vintersea

Molder – Catastrophic Reconfiguration Review

By Mark Z.

Welcome to the modern age of death metal, where it seems half the newer bands people are hyping up staggered into existence via Maggot Stomp before their chuggy chuggy unga bunga riffage started eliciting enough precum from the hardcore kiddos to catch the attention of bigger labels, ultimately resulting in even more unwarranted hype and overcrowded tours with Jesus Piece and Dying Fetus. Of course, there are exceptions. Like Skeletal Remains, Molder are loyal pupils of death metal’s old school, the kind of band that’s influenced by many but isn’t copying anyone in particular. Hailing from Joliet, Illinois, the group formed in 2017 and quickly established themselves as a punky, sleazeball death metal act that reeked of Autopsy fumes. The legendary Kronos wasn’t wrong when he said the band’s second album, 2022’s Engrossed in Decay, didn’t do much to differentiate itself from its influences, but I still seemed to enjoy that record a lot more than he did. With their third album Catastrophic Reconfiguration, vocalist and guitarist Aaren Pantke has now apparently taken a more collaborative approach to the writing process, a move that’s nonetheless resulted in zero stylistic changes.

And to me, that’s not a bad thing. As before, the band’s putrid style is here in all its nasty glory, with these ten tracks essentially sounding like a modern incarnation of Autopsy blended with a few bits of Obituary. The opening title track is typical of what you can expect, with the song careening forward on punky beats, rabid riffs, and slobbering vocals that bear a strong resemblance to Obituary’s John Tardy. Furthering the comparison to those Florida legends, the guitar solos throughout the record have a soaring and melodic flair that evokes James Murphy’s performance on Cause of Death. While the riffing is often manic and unruly, songs like “Bursted Innards” and “Corpse Copulation” add some extra Autopsy juices by slowing the tempos and employing twisted, wonky riffs that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on Severed Survival or Mental Funeral.

It’s a vile, lovely mess that’s executed well. The band specifically have a knack for writing catchy material and knowing when to mix things up. “Pulped,” for example, scrambles forward on verses of staccato chords before breaking into a slow, addictive chorus that reeks of Death’s Leprosy. The closer, “Nothing Left to Ooze,” is even catchier, with a refrain of squealing tremolo riffs and wretched vocals that scream out the track title. “Overdue Burial” and “Frothing” stand out with their fast and demented tremolo riffing, while “Masked in Mold” unleashes a massive, chugging guitar riff that feels mighty enough to loosen your molars.

Moments like this are augmented by the fat-as-fuck guitar tone, which sounds like it’s spent the last six months sitting on your couch eating family-sized boxes of Chicken in a Biskit and watching bad horror movies. The production as a whole presents everything with ample clarity and force, though it is a bit louder and more polished than I’d prefer for this sort of music. Likewise, while things remain consistently enjoyable across these 34 minutes, most of my favorite moments are in the album’s first half. Too many of these tracks also have extended instrumental introductions, which dampen the record’s crazed energy and make some of the songs feel predictable. Perhaps the most damning thing one can say about Catastrophic Reconfiguration, however, is the same thing Kronos said about Engrossed in Decay two years ago. While Molder execute death metal well, they don’t really have a standout trait to distinguish them from other death metal bands you’ve heard before.

That said, not every band has to be different to be a success. To me, Molder’s “special sauce” is doing death metal well. Listening to Catastrophic Reconfiguration, it’s easy to tell that these guys are passionate death metal dudes who offer music that’s catchy, well-performed, and well-produced. The best bands of yesteryear are remembered today because they had memorable songs, and one can say the same thing about Molder. When the dust settles and we’re looking back on what early 2020s death metal was, I think Catastrophic Reconfiguration is the type of album that’s going to be looked back on the most fondly—even if it isn’t breaking the mold.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Prosthetic Records
Websites: molderil.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/molderil
Releases Worldwide: November 8th, 2024

#2024 #30 #AmericanMetal #Autopsy #CatastrophicReconfiguration #Death #DeathMetal #Molder #Nov24 #Obituary #ProstheticRecords #Review #Reviews #SkeletalRemains

Undeath – More Insane Review

By Eldritch Elitist

Modern trends in “old school” death metal bug me. Beyond the neverending competition to see who can print the ugliest four-sided longsleeve in existence, the bulk of the scene appears annoyingly content with aping the bullet points of their inspirations. That’s why Undeath, who have never come across as trying to sound like anyone other than Undeath, are one of my very favorites of the bunch. Undeath is obviously not reinventing death metal, and comparisons have and will continue to be made to legendary acts (Cannibal Corpse) and modern contemporaries (Necrot), but Undeath’s unparalleled understanding of the genre’s appeal enables them to operate on pure death metal instinct. Three albums in, this instinct and compounding experience, are being leveraged in the name of sonic expansion. Though Undeath has rarely exercised subtlety, More Insane sees the band in maximalist overdrive.

I’ve often compared Undeath to Cannibal Corpse as neither band shies away from conjuring colorfully melodic counterbalances to their deathly centers of gravity. Yet More Insane isn’t just melodic; it feels downright anthemic. “Brandish the Blade” exemplifies this feeling with ascending tremolo lines swelling in power metal grandeur while retaining a pure death metal feel. That is, until the guitar solo in the track’s latter half explodes with harmonic flair ripped straight from the power metal playbook. Indeed, Undeath’s most cavernous qualities have been pared back in favor of a more contemporary experience, but More Insane almost exclusively utilizes this accessibility as an avenue to invention. If you loved “Human Chandelier” from Undeath’s sophomore showstopper It’s Time… To Rise from the Grave, you will adore the unconventionally twisty catchiness of tracks like “Disattachment of a Prophylactic in the Brain.”1

Whether through innovation or masterclass exercises in basic death metal fundamentals (“Bounty Hunter”), More Insane feels brilliant for the bulk of its blisteringly quick runtime. Its only structural fumble is one of consistency. Certain tracks have the audacity to be merely “pretty good” in a tracklist full of heaters like “Dead from Beyond” or “Disputatious Malignancy.” Some of these cuts fail to resonate as strongly due to feeling relatively basic; “Wailing Cadavers,” while plenty fun in the moment, is just “that track between “Bounty Hunter” and “Disattachment of a Prophylactic in the Brain.”2 Elsewhere, “Sutured for War” presents as a slab of competent and enjoyable The Black Dahlia Murder worship, and while it’s an appreciable oddity, it ultimately feels out of place. This is not to say that Undeath should shy away from incorporating melodeath elements. The aforementioned “Disputatious Malignancy” excels at doing exactly that in a framework more befitting of Undeath’s strengths.

Speaking of optimization, More Insane’s more insane songwriting demands elevated technicality, and the entire band delivers in a manner I would never have expected upon first hearing Lesions of a Different Kind. Drummer Matt Browning, and guitarists Kyle Beam and Jared Welch, tackle near-tech death levels of complexity on tracks like “Disputatious Malignancy” and “Disattachment of a Prophylatctic in the Brain,”3 seemingly without breaking a sweat, and bassist Tommy Wall’s anchoring lines convert certain tracks (“More Insane”) into the band’s best groove-fests to date. All the while, vocalist Alexander Jones delivers on such a level that I can’t help but wonder if the album title was based on his performances on this record. I’ve always enjoyed his no-frills growls in their cavernous, vaguely whispery glory, but Jones’ growls on More Insane are notably full-throated and primed for manic escalation at the drop of a hat. His ascending cries of “Writhing in my head!” during “Disputatious Malignancy” are just one of countless infectious and memorable examples where he significantly elevates Undeath’s personality.

For all its cartoonish gore and slime, some people tend to take death metal way too seriously. When I’ve reviewed Undeath in the past, something about the band has driven those people in the comments to turn their minds inside out,4 seemingly in a vain search to comprehend how anyone can think something so simple can be so great.5 Despite its disappointingly flat production – it’s not bad, just unexciting – More Insane is so charismatic as to have a solid shot at converting at least a portion of that crowd. It doesn’t reach its full potential for its entire runtime, but when firing on all cylinders, More Insane excels at grabbing the elements that make Undeath great and pulling them in unexpected and thrilling directions. While not the crown jewel of the Undeath catalog, More Insane handily cements the Undeath discography as one of the best in the scene today, and I get the impression that they are only just getting started.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Prosthetic Records
Websites: undeath.bandcamp.com | undeathmetal.com | facebook.com/undeathNY
Releases Worldwide: October 4th, 2024

#2024 #35 #AmericanMetal #CannibalCorpse #DeathMetal #MoreInsane #Necrot #Oct24 #ProstheticRecords #Review #Reviews #TheBlackDahliaMurder #Undeath

Glacial Tomb – Lightless Expanse Review

By Cherd

I’m always surprised by what a hotbed for underground metal Denver, Colorado is. As a casual visitor, it’s such a clean, outdoors-oriented kind of place. It’s a place you go on your way to a mountain ski resort or to watch your sports team beat one of theirs. But beneath the clear Rocky Mountain air, the craft breweries, and the cannabis boutiques, something grimy stirs, belching forth established and ascendant underground darlings like Blood Incantation, Khemmis, Primitive Man, and Wayfarer. Meanwhile, bands like Doldrum come out of seemingly nowhere with records that land in my year-end top five.1 Denver death metal-ers Glacial Tomb have been plying their trade in the Mile High City since 2016. Their eponymous debut didn’t leave much of an impression around here,2 Will we see the light in sophomore follow-up Lightless Expanse?

Glacial Tomb’s brand of death on Lightless Expanse is brutal, somewhat blackened, sludgy, and sometimes toes the line just this side of tech death. The black comes mostly from vocalist Ben Hutcherson’s delivery, which falls into the now-standard contemporary death metal trope of half brontosaurus rumbles, half pterodactyl shrieks, but tremolo riffs also crop up, as on “Worldsflesh.” The sludge comes through in the viscosity of guitar tone built between Hutcherson and bassist David Small (both also of Khemmis), but there are also times, such as the midsection of “Voidwomb” and late in “Abyssal Host” when the band will drop their more technical death metal chops to fully embrace sludge metal structures. Songs like the excellent “Enshrined in Concrete” lean so hard this way they end up in beatdown hardcore territory. Lightless Expanse will at times call to mind Carnosus (“Stygian Abattoir,” “Seraphic Mutilation”), at others Warcrab (“Abyssal Host”), but ultimately they bring their own flavor to the ever-branching death-metal-plus genre.

Lightless Expanse is a record that gets better the more you marinate in it. That doesn’t mean it lacks immediacy. The surefire gym playlist addition “Enshrined in Concrete” struck me hard on first listen and has quickly climbed up my favorite songs of 2024 list. Meanwhile, opener “Stygian Abattoir” had to grow on me. Not because it’s a bad song, but because the three that follow it are so good that it’s hard to imagine making that the intro to the album. This is an album with two huge peaks surrounded by thankfully shallow valleys. The first peak, from the stomping “Voidwomb” to the deceptively melodic “Abyssal Host,” is tall enough to be littered with the corpses of those arrogant enough to attempt the summit. It’s a world-beating three-song stretch of brutality and tasteful songwriting. The second peak runs from the majestic “Seraphic Mutilation” to “Worldsflesh,” a song built for headbanging sure to get necks wrecked when played live, to “Wound of Existence.”

I mentioned above that opener “Stygian Abattoir” had to grow on me a bit, and the same can be said for the closing title track. It’s less immediate than the considerable high points elsewhere on Lightless Expanse, but Glacial Tomb were ultimately smart putting it last because it ends on a soaring guitar solo and breakdown that could have been the album’s pinnacle if sequenced in the middle. Instead, it closes the proceedings in a way that leaves you wanting more and helps you realize that the last 36 minutes have been spent in a very agreeable manner. If there’s one song that doesn’t quite live up to the standards set around it, it’s the album midpoint “Sanctuary,” but even that contains a memorable bass solo, and when played in sequence barely registers as a speed bump in an otherwise hard charging record.

I haven’t gone back to listen to Glacial Tomb’s debut, so I’ll trust Dr. Wvrm‘s assessment that it had its issues with integrating multiple genres and with songwriting. Whatever those might have been, I’d say they’ve thoroughly come out in the wash on their follow-up. This is a gem of brutality that I’ll be revisiting frequently, and another win for the Denver metal scene.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Prosthetic Records
Websites: glacialtomb.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/glacialtomb
Releases Worldwide: September 20th, 2024

#2024 #40 #AmericanMetal #Carnosus #DeathMetal #GlacialTomb #LightlessExpanse #ProstheticRecords #Review #Reviews #Sep24 #Warcrab