The enigmatic US black metal outfit known as T.O.M.B. have unearthed and unleashed some of the vilest sounds known to man for three decades now, and one of the most inspiring things about this cursed ensemble is its ceaseless striving for sinister perfection in terms of blending black metal, dark ambient, and industrial noise to frightening effect. Incredibly raw and outright caustic but containing a multitude of layers that will spellbind the listener, their latest offering entitled Terror Winds is quite simply the group’s finest hour yet.
With its menacing introduction and unnerving riffs, the title track pretty much instantly creates an aura that is both entrancing and compulsively listenable. Harsh beyond measure but vigorous, vibrant, and above all edgy, the record strikes an excellent balance in terms of being razor-sharp and structured on the one hand and sounding completely unhinged and dangerously close to imploding on the other. The punishing vocals emphasize the fact that humanity is worth less than a postage stamp while the rhythm section constantly propels things forward without leaving the listener with much room for respite, but it is exactly because of that relentlessly aggressive attack and the consistently bleak atmosphere that this LP works so sickeningly well on the mind and senses. The song titled ‘Frost Tyrants’ leans towards early 90s black metal due to its dissonant riffs and twisted vocals while the stunning closing track, ‘Reincarnation’, is a startling and terrifying exercise in how to spawn a soundscape so claustrophobic and disgusting that one feels the urge to take a long shower after having listened to it – it is that brilliant and efficient!
Terror Winds possesses an organic flow and the kind of dynamics that could only have come about if these talented musicians had recorded everything while playing live in a room together, and it is not often that a black metal opus as convincing and addictive as this short and concise output comes along. There is an intuitive genius and an immense power to these six compositions that you ought to investigate further once this slice of blackened industrial filth hits the record shelves in early December.
Terror Winds will be released by Dark Essence Records on December 2, 2022.
