In the span of just a few years, thanks to the efforts of maybe a handful of acts across the underground, the state of cosmic death metal have not just burgeoned into something wonderful but absolutely blossomed into some all its own. From Blood Incantation to Replicant, the very micro-scene has come under the persistent spotlight time after time in recent years as we see it becoming a true force to reckon with as bands seasoned or fresh continuously upping the ante to make the sound into what it is today in all of its glory. With their first go at a full-length record, it’s now Astral Tomb’s turn to find themselves in the spotlight.

I’ve never been a fan of any band’s debut album being tagged as “highly anticipated” when the band in question has only a couple of songs out there somewhere for us to hear since it’s almost always used to attract rather than portray any sort of truth, but it’s in the case of Astral Tomb and after hearing what they have to offer within the five tracks of the appropriately named creation that is “Soulgazer” that I can’t help but feel such a descriptor is more than warranted. As trippy as it is unapologetically vicious in its heaviness, the very whole of “Soulgazer” is the definition of defying expectations as it can effortlessly be said that Astral Tomb has caught ears with its brief performances over the past few years, but it is single-handedly with this opus that they’ve set a tremendous new standard. This is literally out-of-this-world death metal that cannot be denied nor ignored for all that it offers with a sound that feels like its utterly dripping with underground power yet overflowing with cosmic excellence at some of its finest as it’s for the very whole of “Soulgazer” that Astral Tomb manages to devastate at every given turn even in the very smallest moments of the album where we see a magnificent contrast to really prove for a bonafide truth that Astral Tomb is living up to the supreme standards that have been laid out before them.

Whether it be the riffs, the atmospheres, or the intoxication that keeps you in your seat with this massive album, there’s no way to ignore the simple truth that there’s a new name in the growing world of cosmic death metal that cannot be denied. The very essence of “Soulgazer” should be enough to bring forth fans from all over the underground, and it’s the very name of Astral Tomb that won’t be forgotten any time soon with a start as wondrous as this.

“Soulgazer” releases on March 25th via Blood Harvest!

LISTEN to an advanced track from “Soulgazer” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Astral Tomb on Facebook here.