Tomb Mold maintain their inhuman release pace with the arrival of Planetary Clairvoyance, the followup to last year's acclaimed Manor of Infinite Forms. Despite only a year between releases, the new album has a very different sound, following in the band's other tradition of reinventing themselves with each record.
Planetary delivers a more savage assault than the knuckle-dragging riffage heard on its predecessor. The churning guitars and drums on songs like "Beg For Life" and the title track constrict like a cold tentacle, squeezing the life out of you while a cluster of ancient eyes contemplate your death. The barrage is broken up by slower, doomier moments that bring you to your knees, like the breakdown in "Infinite Resurrection."
It's that cavernous style of death metal that Tomb Mold are so adept at, channelling Incantation, along with Finnish bands like Demilich and Disincarnate. There's also a higher dose of Cynic and Human-era Death this time around, most notably on the track "Cerulean Salvation."
What makes Planetary Clairvoyance stand out, though, is its rich and complex sound. It's somehow vast and claustrophobic at once, just like its setting in the outer reaches of space. The band channel their influences so effectively, the album sounds new and familiar at the same time, while the production imbues a quality of coldness to its intensity.
Planetary Clairvoyance is an exceptional death metal album. It has the traits of classic records, but never prostrates itself into pure worship. It's eerie, heavy and has just enough technicality to keep it interesting without detracting from its impact.
(20 Buck Spin)Planetary delivers a more savage assault than the knuckle-dragging riffage heard on its predecessor. The churning guitars and drums on songs like "Beg For Life" and the title track constrict like a cold tentacle, squeezing the life out of you while a cluster of ancient eyes contemplate your death. The barrage is broken up by slower, doomier moments that bring you to your knees, like the breakdown in "Infinite Resurrection."
It's that cavernous style of death metal that Tomb Mold are so adept at, channelling Incantation, along with Finnish bands like Demilich and Disincarnate. There's also a higher dose of Cynic and Human-era Death this time around, most notably on the track "Cerulean Salvation."
What makes Planetary Clairvoyance stand out, though, is its rich and complex sound. It's somehow vast and claustrophobic at once, just like its setting in the outer reaches of space. The band channel their influences so effectively, the album sounds new and familiar at the same time, while the production imbues a quality of coldness to its intensity.
Planetary Clairvoyance is an exceptional death metal album. It has the traits of classic records, but never prostrates itself into pure worship. It's eerie, heavy and has just enough technicality to keep it interesting without detracting from its impact.