Forgotten Tomb - ...And Don't Deliver Us from Evil (2012)

Forgotten Tomb was a band I had heavily in rotation through the earlier years of the new millennium, a spectacle of grisly sadness that, from Songs to Leave (2002) through Love's Burial Ground (2004). Somber architecture threaded with suicidal hostility, they were by far one of the most promising black metal exports out of Europe in this period. And then came the inevitable progression phase, through albums Negative Megalomania and Under Saturn Retrograde, and though I certainly couldn't fault the Italians for trying something new, my own interest in the output had begun to wane. ...And Don't Deliver Us From Evil feels, to some extent, like 'damage control'. It's got a slightly more modern feel to it than, say, Springtime Depression, but a lot of that fell majesty of the old Forgotten Tomb creeps in here, albeit lavished in the brighter polish of the new production.

I think the 'atmospheric black/doom' tag still fits really well here, for while the vocals and riffing sequences often fall on the former side of the equation, there are plenty of slower grooving chord rhythm in tracks like "Deprived" (which had its own EP earlier in the year) that tether off the more cutting, higher pitched melody. The drums have a lot of variation, from the steady beats that moor the mid-paced, Katatonia-like rock out patterns (an in opener "Nullifying Tomorrow"), to the muscular double-bass batteries. Vocals are entirely over the top, gruesome and robust rasps that, along with the slice of the upper register guitars, really drench the rhythm section in sheer agony. Herr Morbid sounds much the same as he always did, only the inflection is more full-bodied and totally audible alongside the instruments. The bass is also a strong point to this, with a lot of curving, interesting grooves that support the guitars without often cloning them; in part responsible for giving the Italians' music that massive, progressive subtext you'll recognize from other groups like Opeth. There are also some Gothic-tinged, deeper melodic vocal harmonies (as in "Adrift") and clean guitars that shine in contrast to the heavier moments, without being particularly memorable in of themselves.

The longer, meandering songs are pretty much the status quo for Forgotten Tomb, but here they are reined in usually around 8-9 minutes, briefer than some of the swollen, depressive behemoths they penned back in their prime. The mix is in general quite bright, you can hear everything perfectly, like most modern black metal albums that have a budget and aren't afraid to sound like it. I occasionally got enveloped by a few of the dreamier, glorious guitar melodies throughout the 54 minutes, but didn't find most of the drudging rhythm guitar progressions all that exciting, despite the nice dichotomy they create against the airier flights of eloquent suffering. That said, there are certain exceptions, and tunes like "Let's Torture Each Other" reminded me of why I loved the groovier, simple black metal strategists like Finland's Ajattara or the older Darkthrone records, even if the packaging is prettier here. All told, ...And Don't Deliver Us From Evil is pretty damn solid, better at least than Under Saturn Retrograde, and it was great to experience those old sounds I so enjoyed from the first few records. If you're into vast, tragic swaths of sound crowned with melody and grandeur, check it out.

Verdict: Win [7.25/10]

http://www.facebook.com/Official.Forgotten.Tomb

Forgotten Tomb - Under Saturn Retrograde (2011)

Based on the strength of their first three albums (Songs to Leave, Springtime Depression and Love's Burial Ground), I would have felt no hesitation in naming Forgotten Tomb my all time favorite metal act from Italy. Unfortunately, their following, fourth effort Negative Megalomania sought to modernize the band's languishing, melodic black metal sensibility, and the change was simply not all welcome. It was by no means a poor full-length, but seemed to me to lack all of the puerile, ghastly architecture of its forebears. The band has since taken some time off, but rather than return to their foreboding, grim roots, their latest Under Saturn Retrograde seems to follow in the same motions as its direct predecessor, a clean and tidy excursion into the driving, melodic fundamentals wrought by acts Agalloch, Katatonia and Opeth.

Not that this is necessarily a bad move, but I rather miss the more vicious, snarling vocals and demented, depressive atmosphere so latent in Songs to Leave or Springtime Depression. This album often feels like its dragging its feet, despite the obvious propulsion in production standards that it has over their formative releases. Each of the nine tracks is graced with at least 1-2 riffs that provoke atmosphere, but they are set against a mundane backdrop of straight doom rock guitars ("Shutter") or Gothic/black drawl ("Joyless"). There are some shining, eerie components to "Reject Existence", "Spectres Over Venice" and the bloated "You Can't Kill Who's Already Dead", and at least for those last two I felt like a time capsule had opened on the band's past, but then you've got the rather vapid cover of The Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog", or the tranquil clamor of "Under Saturn Retrograde Part II" that don't feel as if they have much to contribute to the suicidal terror so inherent in the first three albums.

Ultimately I found this even less effective than Negative Megalomania, but I wouldn't say its a total waste of time. There are good ideas present, or at least the shadows of such ideas, and the mix of the album is quite astoundingly bold and bright, almost in tandem with the band reaching their next stage of accessibility. If you're into primal driving Gothic death or black metal, or the depressive black acts who risk using higher audio standards (Lifelover, Apati, etc) then there is a likely some appeal to this. A handful of riffs stand out, and the album is undeniable moody (and not in a 'good' mood); but I felt none of the same cavernous convulsions of agony that made me want to slit wrists and paint the walls and sky with my drained life force.

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10]

http://www.myspace.com/darknessinstereo