Review Summary: death metal just got a whole lot tombier
Death metal wizards and burial chamber enjoyers Acrid Tomb and Tomb of Annihilation emerge from the riff crypts with a spell so filthy and hypnotizing one cannot simply turn away. This 20-minute incantation is a perfect matrimony of traditional death metal and HM2-infused melodic death metal; fans of either genre will find solace in
Hermetic Invocations. Fans of both will find bliss. Though some may find further comfort in the invocations’ origins, rumored to be the depths of Sputnik Music itself…
Acrid Tomb begins the ceremony with their take on the hybrid death/doom metal sound, nodding to old school masters like Autopsy and modern revivalists Obliteration all in the same breath. Crushing riffs and cavernous guttural vocals elicit what it might feel like to be inside the band’s namesake (
acrid is an adjective defined by Merriam-Webster as “sharp and harsh or unpleasantly pungent in taste or odor.” How very apt.) Moreover, listeners become sealed within said tomb, forced to succumb to the rituals of mysterious mausoleum warlocks. Though brief, the echoes of Acrid Tomb’s contribution to
Hermetic Invocations permeate the mind long after listening—its mesmerizing leads and hauntingly soothing vocal performance itch the brain in a way words fall short of describing.
In an affirmation of band name choice, Tomb of Annihilation storms into the second half of
Hermetic Invocations in a successful attempt at breaking the trance Acrid Tomb initially cast. The buzz saw is revving and the listener quickly transports to the HM2-soaked caverns of Stockholm and Gothenburg. Leads reminiscent of forebears Dismember and At The Gates behind vocals akin to contemporary elites Be’lakor propel the EP forward in masterful harmony. In a world where the genre continues to distance itself from its death metal past, Tomb of Annihilation injects some much needed heaviness into the mix.
Acrid Tomb and Tomb of Annihilation provide an excellent sampler of modern death metal—both bands bring their stylings to the table and offer just enough to leave one satisfied yet yearning for more. So what are you waiting for? Give in to the voices...embrace the riffs...sing the Hermetic Invocations...
