Reviews list for Tombs - Under Sullen Skies (2020)

Having flirted with their EP released earlier this year (Monarchy of Shadows) I was once again pulled into the gnarly and blackened world of the Brooklyn trio Tombs when this full length dropped in late-November.  What is obvious from both releases is that Tombs don't fit neatly into any particular box for a nice, neat and singular genre label to be applied to the front of.  Throughout Under Sullen Skies I am triggered by influences such as Motörhead, Neurosis, Bolzer and Isis as the album works its way through twelve tracks of potent and forceful music that succeeds in leaving a lasting impression in the main.

Now to be clear, I find the record far too long for my liking and I sense an inconsistent trajectory overall as a result of there simply being too many songs on the album.  The highlights are infectious however; the groovy riffs of The Hunger or the desolate and spiralling tremolos of Angel of Darkness are both with me for life am I sure having only heard them a few times.  But, in simple terms there's an overload of ideas here.  The album feels likes an EP and a full-length stuck together as opposed to one cohesive release.

Whilst they may transcend genre/sub-genre borders the band don't do so with any real degree of thought for the compositional impact on the record and as a result the record feels like the dreaded "collection" of songs.  This is a shame because a lot of what is written here is solid stuff (such as the superb dankness to the aptly titled Sombre Ruin) but it feels in the main like pieces from two different puzzles as opposed to a bumper Xmas jigsaw to cover the whole coffee table.  Competent song writing and musicianship, let down by composition issues and crowding of ideas.