Review by Daniel for Tómarúm - Ash in Realms of Stone Icons (2022)

Atlanta’s Tomarum hadn’t crossed my radar until last year’s “Ash in the Realms of Stone Icons” album. Their 2020 “Wounds Ever Expanding” E.P. had drifted past my gaze without attracting my attention but on the evidence presented on their debut full-length I’d have to suggest that it might be worth me exploring shortly. You see, love ‘em or hate ‘em, it’s impossible to deny that Tomarum are a class act.

Tomarum is really the artistic creation of one individual in 26 year-old vocalist/guitarist Kyle Warburn who started writing for the album back in 2017 as a way to work through his mental health concerns. He’d soon meet fellow guitarist Brandon Iacovella & they’d not only form fellow Atlanta technical/progressive death metal outfit Lunar Chamber but Brandon would also offer to help Kyle with his Tomarum project. The intention was not originally to form a permanent band but to utilize hired session musicians to fill out the rest of the instruments although the subsequent success of the album has seen Kyle committing to forming a band for the purpose of live shows. For “Ash in the Realms of Stone Icons” however, Kyle brought in talented fretless bassist Arran McSporran, Inferi drummer Spencer Moore & keyboardist Aaron Baumoel in what must be one of the most shredding groups of extreme metal musicians ever assembled.

Tomarum’s sound is quite remarkable really & I’d probably describe it as a cinematic take on the progressive black metal model. There’s a fair bit of technical death metal influence in there too with the accomplished guitar solos in particular taking an all-out progressive approach. Unlike other artists to have attempted such a sound though, Tomarum almost transcend their links to black metal because, even though they can be devastatingly brutal at times, the atmosphere on offer here has a more sombre & melodic feel to it. Unlike a lot of black metal, Tomarum very rarely sound intimidating or evil as there’s a vulnerability there that’s quite uncommon. Perhaps it’s that element more than any other that sees me resisting the urge to fully commit too & I’d suggest that this is a failing in myself more than it is a criticism of Kyle’s creative vision. I simply find it a little tough to let go of my childhood fascinations with the pure blasphemy of the traditional black metal bands of my youth which is also why it took me many years to come to grips with a subgenre like blackgaze. Recent times have seen me being better prepared for that journey but I’ve found that I’m still not quite ready to claim a record like “Ash in the Realms of Stone Icons” as a genuine extreme metal classic.

The hour-long tracklisting is comprised by seven pieces; five lengthy progressive outings & a couple of short interludes. The album is programmed in chronological order with each track getting slightly more progressive than the last, culminating in the epic 15 minute crescendo that is “Awake Into Eternal Slumber”. There isn’t a weak track included but, by the same token, I’m not sure I’d class any of these pieces as classics as such. Tomarum’s sound is simply a little too melodic for me to force my hand in that regard. It is a very consistent record though with an undeniable air of quality being splashed on everything Tomarum dishes up. The most brutal song on offer “As Black Forms From Grey” is probably my pick of the bunch but I also really dig the one-two punch of single “Condemned To A Life Of Grief” & “In This Empty Space”. The other highlight is the wonderful rhythm section with McSporran proving himself to be one of the most gifted & creative bassists in the extreme metal scene & drummer Moore littering the run time with sprays of devastatingly precise blast-beats. I do like the cinematic way that Baumoel has subtley incorporated his keyboards too as it’s rarely over the top or overly bombastic. Warburn’s vocals are perhaps the weakest part of the Tomarum sound as they can sound a little unintelligent when compared with the sophisticated instrumental contributions around them. I’d also suggest that the progressive solos are a little at odds with the whole black metal aesthetic if I’m being particularly picky.

It’s hard to be too critical of a release like “Ash in the Realms of Stone Icons” though as it’s an incredible effort for a debut full-length. In fact, I’d be very surprised if fans of other modern extreme progressive metal outfits like Ne Obliviscaris, An Abstract Illusion & Xanthochroid don’t jump onboard this train fairly promptly too. I’m not sure the black metal community will be as keen though as Tomarum’s atmosphere is quite regularly at odds with the darkness & aggression of that scene & is mainly linked to the more melodic examples of the sound. The wonderfully accomplished presentation of Tomarum’s package makes it very hard for this old metalhead to deny though & I’ve gotten a lot of enjoyment out of this month’s feature release to be honest.

P.S. What a great album cover too!