Tomb Mold – The Enduring Spirit
Reviewed By: Kenneth Gallant
Review Score: 9.0
In just a few short years, Toronto’s own Tomb Mold have really carved out a unique corner in the genre of death metal. I first became accustomed to the robust sounds of ear-splitting madness; coagulated together by way of drippy-raspy passages and chugging blast beats. This description aptly fits their previous album Planetary Clairvoyance and man was it hard hitting and splendid all at the same time.
When that album came out in 2019 I became a voracious listener. I just couldn’t get enough of it; playing the shit out of it on my iPod over and over. My head was literally torn off every time I sat down to give it a spin. The album was that good. So, imagine to my surprise when the news broke about a new release here in 2023 courtesy of 20 Buck Spin.
It’s been four years and these eager ears of mine are literally flapping about on each side of my skull waiting for that cacophony fix. All I can say is that the band continues to expand it’s scope on a sound of boundless energy strapped down to a tormented palette.
I guess most of you are probably wondering if this new release is any good? Or does it even live up to the bestial reputation of Clairvoyance? In many ways, The Enduring Spirit swerves the listener; thus providing a new layer of progressiveness not heard on previous releases. There is heaping amounts of harmony and subtlety in many of the passages, but don’t expect a sudden stylistic shift into the soothing sounds of top 40 radio. After all, this is still Tomb Mold and the boys like to ear-slap you silly on most of the songs with blunt force trauma.
The opening track ‘The Perfect Memory’ spirals into the progressive sounds straight-away. It wasn’t what I was expecting, however comparing the song to bands like Cynic and Atheist help digest the new approach. There’s plenty of twists and turns to be had here and the same pattern continues into ‘Angelic Fabrications’. What I dig about these first two offerings is their willingness to push the boundaries of their core sound. It’s brutal, but soften up in some unexpected ways. Also, the other comparison I wanted to interject here is Destruction’s Release From Agony because of how the technical approach was mixed into their unapologetic thrash brutality. I feel it’s happening here on Spirit.
The beginning of “Will of Whispers’ is startling. Again, the melo-tones will bring you into the song half believing this is Joe Satriani, but then the brutality kicks in. The guitar tone skitters about like a piece of salted caramel in your mouth, so get used to that taste. This is easily the most progressive sounding piece on the entire record. Although, I wouldn’t fret over the notion this band is becoming a bunch of pussies, because they come back to their death metal leanings on ‘Fates Tangled Thread’. After that assault, you get the superior sounding “Flesh As Armour’ and man does it turn up the heat and lingers manically in your ears. I think this is arguably my favourite track on this album.
The remaining two tracks are stellar pieces of progressive and melodic death metal. So at this juncture, the band has found its footing in this new sphere of existence. The pace quickens on ‘Servants of Possibility’ providing a bevy or progressive riffs and building uptempo moments. Guitarist Derrick Vella shines the most here; crafting some technical passages to blow the wax out of my ears. Mind you, I am just kidding about what’s getting jettisoned out of my ears, but you get the point. The same can be said about the closing track ‘The Enduring Spirit’. Not only does it serve as the title track, but this number strives to push you into another realm and it’s phenomenal in the approach. The riffs ebb and flow in ways that carry the listener throughout the eleven minutes of run time. The vocals are uncompromising while all this is going on and yet somehow it just all fits together.
Tomb Mold has added a new layer of progressiveness into their arsenal of sound, so expect some blowback on The Enduring Spirit. Mind you, I am sure the complaints will be minor, but there’s always a few crackpots who won’t get this. I do thinks fans of Death, Cynic, Atheist, Carcass and Blood Incantation will enjoy this release and I think it’s safe to add Tomb Mold to this esteemed list of progressive death metal giants. The band has recently played a shows in Toronto and Montreal, and more announcements are forthcoming. I can’t wait.