This New Zealand bands gets quite a few things right on their new album, the most important being a clear display of songwriting that doesn't forsake the fact that they are making music in order to be heavy as nine hells. There a a few different moods to what they do and no two songs sound the same , but they are a death metal band. They throb at a slower pulse than the bulk of death metal bands , but I would not go as far as calling them doom, though that is touched upon on the instrumental "Cold Soil". I generally don't like instrumentals but they sold me on that one. "Death Knell Offering" opens this tomb up. Melodic and dark they don't throw themselves into a rushed blast beat, instead ride out a steady tempo. The vocals are growled with a lower rasp. The guitars always pulling melodies out of the cobwebs.
They do not burst in the typical blackened death metal thing into the second song "Scythes over my Grave". When it slows dissonant melody drips from the edges of the song in a manner similar to the atmosphere Ulcerate creates. "Drear" doesn't start off really veering away from the sonic pulse they have already established earlier in the album . The vocals are a little more deliberate. The tone and melody does move out from under the same monolithic dark cloud that has been rumbling over the album thus.
Overall the paint the entire album in a pretty similar shade of gray, it is never the less a very easy listen. This is the bands third album so there is still room and time for growth. I am not really compelled to go out and hunt down all their previous work, but think that for what this album is these guys accomplished what they set out to. I was hoping for a few more twists and turns. I will give this one an 8, they don't sound like any body else and if you are in the mood for something a shade heavier than doom or normally listen to death metal but find yourself in a low swing this is worth a spin. Iron Bone Head is releasing the vinyl August 28th.
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