Tombs

It's very rare that a band can be so profound and prolific at the same time. Coming together in the blink of an eye, Brooklyn's Tombs (led by Anodyne's Mike Hill) released an unforgettable eponymous album mere months after confirming their existence. Despite its expedience though, the record was a phenomenal blast of rumbling distortion, borderline black metal vocals and Cursed-ish death/hardcore musical pyrotechnics. Now, with a bit of time to prepare, they unleash their Relapse debut, Winter Hours. Further embracing the chaotic feedback of bleaker metal and occasionally venturing into disparate melodic interludes before attacking from Entombed territory, as reinterpreted through Obituary, Winter Hours successfully surpasses the high watermark of their introduction and obliterates the conception of the sophomore jinx. This is a muscular, abrasive and overwhelming assault clocking in at a relentless 37 minutes.