ALBUM REVIEW: Tomb Mold – Manor Of Infinite Forms

Today I am reviewing the new album of TOMB MOLD, a band I had never heard of but found online via their label 20 Buck Spin and decided to check it out and share my thoughts below.

1. Manor Of Infinite Forms kicks straight into the crushing heavy old school Death Metal vibes, sounding a lot like your typical Swedish Death Metal. The tones are all very grim and heavy. The vocals have the unmistakable raw assault of Old School DM revivalists, which I enjoy. The opening track is catchy, brutal and guttural as hell. There is a slightly Doom Metal touch to it which I think works very well to the sounds favour, but it also fast and unrelenting. A promising start.
2. Blood Mirror continues the pummelling Death Metal, a really nice mix of speed and grooves sets an aggressively head banging pace to this second track. The guitar/bass riffs are really interesting and the drums blast along nicely. The guttural raw and sheerly demonic vocals are really ear catching. The song has a nice melancholic dissonance which breaks apart the barraging Death Metal madness, a nice solo is thrown in and we get a pretty interesting piece of music. The song has a really cool resemblance to Barnes era Cannibal Corpse.
3. Abysswalker brings round more brutality and keeps the albums momentum going, it may not be an extremely diverse listen thus far however I can’t fault how well they capture the old school style and keep it interesting with varied riffs, leads and tempos. There is something in here for most fans of Death Metal fans and it also has a lovely sludge feel to it in parts. The songwriting itself is very impressive and intricate.
4. Final Struggle Of Selves has a very different and longer intro riff, which has a real Death-Doom feel, so far it’s the riff that to me really stands out from the rest due to its catchiness. The drums are a pure attack of force and the vocals are perfectly possessed enough to fit the brutal mix. The production is captivatingly classic and monolithic sonically.
5. Gored Embrace (Confronting Biodegradation) has a slightly more modern feel to it than all the previous, but the aggression and great elements listed above are not lost. There is something unnerving and haunting about this track, a real malevolent feeling matched with pummelling slams and more varied drums. The song erupts into madness, with tons of fast paced assaults. My criticism for the track is the drums are slightly overbearing to the other instruments in the faster sections but otherwise this has been another great track.
6. Chamber Of Sacred Ootheca brings the more old school feel back, this time in a way I find reminiscent of Obituary. It’s marching along pace and groovier riffs make it a really nice listen. The brutality is not lost, but some of the speed is, which to me adds a bit of diversity although without straying too far from the formula this album has had. It does pick up the pace again with hammering drums and riffs, not to forget the cascading low growls of the vocalist. The ending has more Doom filled parts which to me finish the track perfectly.
7. Two Worlds Become One is the closing piece of this record, and to my surprise opens with acoustic guitars. It really caught me off guard and certainly proves the release to have a bit more variation, while still staying within the classic Death Metal routine somewhat. After the intro it comes back to the brutal attacks we have grown to enjoy over previous tracks and closes the album with yet more audible assault of Death Metal! I really enjoyed the diversity this track had to offer. The ending slowing down to a Doom Metal styled riff with absolute grace and skill. This track along with the first have been to me the most enjoyable!

This release gives the listener a package of raw, untamed, old school Death Metal. It has done very well at what it set out to achieve and I certainly will make sure to keep an ear out for more of the bands stuff! -9/10