TOMBS

THE CHASM, NEW JERSEY

ew York’s brickbat black metal/experimental quartet Tombs are the first metal band to premiere Frontman Mike Hill’s new gang – drummer Justin Spaeth, guitarist Matt Medeiros and bassist Drew Murphy – offer a ‘virtual concert’ in the stead of the live catharsis we all crave. Shot in monochrome, the band, enshrouded in wreaths of dry ice, rattle workmanlike into – a track that blends ferocity with midpaced stridence and atonality, quickly followed by second wave-inspired rager is a spiked spin kick, gearing down mournfully, bleeding out and congealing in W’s disingenuous wail and faltering chug. ’s lo-fi haunt reveals Mike’s inner goth, ending in baleful feedback, chords left to hang in the smoky air. Only after the 30minute set is it revealed that it was shot last September. While you can appreciate the technical benefits, it bursts the bubble a tad, reinforcing the feeling of disconnection. Nevertheless, Tombs sound big and bold, offering a communal placeholder until the time we can truly bear witness to their revitalised form.