Tomb – The Dark Subconscious (Slovenly Blackened Death Metal)

 

I debated reviewing this one because it’s such a damn sloppy mess. Malaysia’s Tomb have got a great sound, don’t get me wrong. Earlier work, such as Gates of Gehenna, may be thin on cutting-edge themes, but heavy on the evil. We got wolves howling, solos screeching like bleeding blisters on the fingertips, drums recorded in a coffin, excellent vocal echo creep, yeah they get it. After fooling around with some pretty obscure labels, they finally got a nab from the power of Iron Bonehead Productions, which already says a lot. So what’s the latest, The Dark Subconscious, have to offer from the band?

   

Notice how I said this is a mess earlier? I meant it. The Dark Subconscious sees Tomb dipping back to demo quality. The guitars are thin and chunky, the drums slightly in the rear and made of cardboard, the bass more of an electrical storm, and the vocals, mere rattling grunts of a dying boar, perhaps? Not sure how else that could be explained. This type of reverse evolution would usually yield a rare demo, but here we have an EP that somehow makes it work as though it should have actually been released outside of their basement. After a creep chime intro, Tomb lays into it with a disgusting lack of quality. They decided, willingly, to dip back into their raw past, leading to a strange listen that first amazes for its wretched sound, then disgusts because you think it’s a demo, and then you love it again for all of its slovenly style.

 

Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls

Tomb – The Dark Subconscious
Iron Bonehead Productions
Cover Art: Band
4.3 / 5