Bandcamp has gained immense traction and reverence as of late, ever since the music streaming website introduced “Bandcamp Fridays,” allotting 100% of artists’ proceeds to said artists without taking fees. A by-product of that has been releases that can only be streamed via Bandcamp, and Tombs are the latest to follow that path.
The N.Y.-based post-metal foursome’s answer to 2020’s Under Sullen Skies is the equally positive-sounding Ex Oblivion (Season Of Mist), a five-tracker that includes a remix, two covers, and two original songs.
‘Killed By Death’ (Motörhead), first released in 1984, is startlingly arena rock, especially by Motörhead’s standards. Musically, Tombs serviceably does the song justice, however the vocals don’t scream organic. Regardless, the guitar tuning for the solo is spectacular-sounding and the song ends on a durable note.
The 1990’s-inspired Death Metal vocals on the GG Allin cover ‘Commit Suicide’ is crisply tight in its own right, which enhances the melancholy obviously trying to be achieved. Despite the scratchy presentation, the production value lands squarely on the bull’s eye.
The title track reveals itself with gothic-style clean vocals and the ‘Sombre Ruin’ RKGD audio remix comes off as trippy, droney and doomy. ‘Murder Legendre’ acts as the chilling finale, utilizing a hypnotic keyboard played alongside menacing speaking, which together stands as the final speech given to an unlucky soul that was dead before things even got started.
But other than that, Ex Oblivion is bagged and tagged in less than twenty-two minutes. And the unoriginal renditions stand taller than the pair of newcomers.
The strategy of prioritizing the “little guy” platform over the behemoth, money-hungry tyrant is for sure endearing. It’s unfortunate there isn’t more to this EP because Tombs proves the production value is there; the know-how in terms of harkening back to the grimy heyday of 1992 Florida is apparent.
Buy the EP here: https://shopusa.season-of-mist.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Tombs
6 / 10
MATT COOK