For every new band, first impressions are everything. Even if the members of the band have garnered experience in plenty of other acts, those first steps as a cohesive unit can oftentimes be tentative in nature with unsure footing oftentimes the downfall for many musicians looking to make a name for themselves. Thus, when we get a new name that manages to impress practically right out of the gate, it’s a sight that demands to be investigated further. Given that, it’s with their first album that Carbon Tomb has thrown down more than enough to warrant much more than the mere cock of an eyebrow.
When dealing with any sort of relatively fresh band, it’s critical to understand that damn near anything is possible. Truly, there’s nothing off the table as any band that seeks to prove itself in some form or another can go to great lengths to show potential listeners what’s in store should you opt to stick around. In the case of bands like Carbon Tomb, that means going all-in with a brutal assault the likes of which should be more than enough to catch the ears and attention of any who would dare consider themselves fans of what the modern underground can still throw out way. “Passage to a Neutron Star” is nothing if not a devilishly efficient terror upon the senses. This is death metal of a sort that is never once afraid to remain liquid in approach as Carbon Tomb is adept at pulling from multiple different veins of the genre with its dissonant and technical reaches having a great part to play alongside the brutal elements that crash together in a stupendously grand display of power. The whole of “Passage to a Neutron Star” is emblematic of these musicians’ collective experience. Long have they toiled in their own respective corners of the underground with some definitely busier than others, but in no way can we take anything away from them as it’s throughout this writhing beast of a record that we bear witness to death metal of a sort that is as seductive in its annihilation as it is diabolical in its craftsmanship.
Three years since their debut EP, it’s obvious in every step of these nine tracks that Carbon Tomb did not take that downtime lightly. From top to bottom, this record is a tour de force of caustic madness that death metal was simply made for. Oppressive in its aggression and unyielding in what it dares to summon forth, “Passage to a Neutron Star” is a testament to ferocity manifested in aural form that fans of the genre are constantly searching for.
“Passage to a Neutron Star” releases on July 17th via Transcending Obscurity Records!
LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Passage to a Neutron Star” on Bandcamp here.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_4DbwLqTYE