ALBUM REVIEW: Tomb Mold – Planetary Clairvoyance

Here I review the brand new Tomb Mold release. An album we have all been excited for after the breakthrough sophomore album “Manor Of Infinite Forms”, set for release via the equally groundbreaking 20 Buck Spin on July 19th. Time to get stuck into some presumably ferocious, atmospheric and brilliant Death Metal! Fear the old blood…

1. Beg For Life initiates with eerie ambience and drawn in grimy guitar riffs that build with an odious filth towards the full band impact cranking out slow tempo, churning soundscapes of cavernous old school Death Metal delights. Intricate drum work and catchy grooving guitars back up the torturous growled vocals with the popular Tomb Mold sound immediately present and as recognisable as ever. Things speed up with thrashing blastbeats and upbeat riff patterns, hastened vocal attacks completing the band with an excellent production that accentuates the filthy music and its barrage of total dystopian, cosmic ferocity. Acoustic guitars follow discordant riffs for some glorious contrast, damn impressive. The tapped ending is so haunting too. An utterly brilliant and unique opening track.
2. Planetary Clairvoyance (They Grow Inside Pt. 2) follows up with more putridly convulsing guitar riffs and relentless drums with such beautifully thought out songwriting skills taking the band into some of their most gruellingly dark music to date. This track features some total whiplash barrages for the headbangers along with atmospheric doomy texturing that is a most welcome combination. The catchiness of the piece is something I recall upon from the “Cerulean Salvation” demo but with its rejuvenated sounds due to a fuller production, this track hits harder than ever. The lead guitar work is skilfully played and adds even more to the dystopia of Death Metal ferocity before we are dropped into some more thrashy sections, giving a gnarly swing to the song. Fantastic stuff.
3. Phosphorene Ultimate brings back the Horror with more chilling ambient sounds that have been conjured up nicely for some cosmos summoning noise attack, working well to complement the furious Death Metal album. A hauntingly creepy and Sci-Fi sounding vocal sample that is distorted beyond recognition works gorgeously with the pristine clean guitars and disturbing ambience. This was a really cool interval that added some nice atmospherics while taking a break for the momentous extremities to rejuvenate. A wise move from the band. Great work.
4. Infinite Resurrection drops us back into hellish assaults with the full menacing aggression of the band returning on top form as suspected. Some excellently hammering drum work is used to back up melodically and intricately blistering guitars, tied together by the inhumanely snarled vocals. Break-neck grooves soon develop from the classic Death Metal sounds to make a uniquely intense and violent experience that clearly shows the band know what they are doing. There is some stunning progressive flare to the track that adds to the unnerving feel of the band in a way that feels in no way pretentious or unnecessary. The lead guitar work was a really wonderful touch on the already packed out soundscape. Thunderously growling instrumentals and hideously intimidating vocals make for another totally killer track.
5. Accelerative Phenomenae breaks into more cavernously thrashing drums, macabre wall of guitar riffing and a totally pungent attack of really doomy groove from the band. The vocals are punctual which works to add a punchiness over the morbidly growling instruments that seem to so effortlessly flow through such intensely epic layers of dense horrors, as if torn right from a chalice dungeon. There is also some nice old school Heavy Metal vibes subtly added into the anthemic guitar riffs that have a glorious 80s feel to them, that is before we are driven through further tunnels of mortuary-disturbing Death Metal assaults and odious stampeding assaults. A hammering war-chant style of militant drums and chugging guitars really packs a punchy breakdown into the song for all the moshers, an unpredictable move from the band that worked really well, as did the totally blistering guitar solo that was filled with soul and melody. Pure excellency.
6. Cerulean Salvation chugs into melodically churned out guitars and snappy drums that build to this crawling groove of totally disfigured intensity and filled with such strong sense of foreboding, the track certainly belongs here, that much can be said from the onset. Swaying and punchy rhythms belt out even more groove among the piercingly vitriolic extremity that has been crafted with such precision and skill that everything transcends so beautifully between section to section of rotting musical brilliance. Forcefully blasting drums, shredding guitar, monstrous guitar and bass riffs, demonic vocals and a perfect production all work in unison to dwell among layers of doomy Death Metal savagery and bring out the most purely enjoyable soundscapes. Wonderful.
7. Heat Death fiercely drives into one final bout of monolithically punishing grooves with decimating guitar work, obliterating drums and a totally epic final performance set in stone. Bleak atmosphered make an appearance to separate the impenetrably grinding Death Metal barrages, interspersed with some glorious lead guitar work. This final track has some filthy doomy songwriting utilised gorgeously to create a sombre yet still crushing experience to end the album on. Tomb Mold are no strangers to this huge and devastatingly heavy use of such soundscapes but this time they take it one step further into territories more akin to bands like Hooded Menace, they pull it off to utter perfection though and give us a memorable and unique new sound from them to end the album, doing so on a high. Mesmerising, gorgeous, disturbing and morbid, this is how to close an album with grace.

Well, this is definitely going to be a candidate for me and many others for Death Metal album of the year, I can say that much already. Everything we have grown to love from Tomb Mold is here from the cavernously doomy sections, blistering assaulting faster parts and skilfully concocted progressions. The album is a smooth and richly varied listen of totally grandiose and macabre Death Metal putridity that is well textured and balanced in a way that makes it perfect to play over and over again. A must listen for all Death Metal fans. This band truly never cease to amaze me. -9/10