Tombs – Savage Gold (Relapse)

Tombs – Savage Gold (Relapse)

Tombs have been one of the best bands in the country since at least 2011, when they released their outstanding sophomore LP, Path Of Totality. Then, in 2013, Tombs core members Mike Hill (vocals/guitar) and Andrew Hernandez (drums) replaced former bassist Carson Daniel James with Ben Brand (of Woe), and added a second guitarist in the form of Garrett Bussanick, who previously played in the great, genre-destroying NYC metal bands Wetnurse and Flourishing. These additions felt both gluttonous and daunting, and the band’s third LP, Savage Gold, finds the new lineup locked in. Where once Tombs’ music included elements of post-metal and black metal, they’re now playing a lean form of hardcore-based death metal (produced by ex-Morbid Angel/current Hate Eternal guitarist Erik Rutan) with a Godflesh-esque industrial chill and a Gorguts-ian avant-tech bent. Savage Gold is a display of power, skill, agility, speed, and endurance. Tombs are still one of the best bands in the country — only now, they’re even better. –Michael [LISTEN]