Path of Totality…TOMBS Review

When sounds moves beyond any moments in time & space it captures your imagination. Here are six words that only begin to describe this album: dramatic, impassioned, moving, majestic, awe-inspiring & towering. Honestly, the new Tombs album, Path of Totality, is greater than the six synonyms I just mentioned put together. The first thing that strikes me about this record is how from the very first note it transcends musical boundaries, & in the process creates it’s own sphere of creative reality. Path of Totality is full of lush dark melodies that wrap themselves around your thoughts & then awaken you in a place were death is not fina,l but a rebirth. I have a recurring memory when I listen to this album – I think of blackness, fog, & Sisters of Mercy on stage during their first U.S tour. The same power I felt that night is what I feel when I hear any of the songs on this album. Tombs allow the gothic ghosts to co-exist with their metal demons. This makes for chilling sonic amazement which never sounds dated. The vocals on this album are deep & emotive, plus the tone works perfectly with the lyrics that are being channeled by the vocalist. The guitar work on Path of Totality is dream-like at times, then can become heavy walls of torment within seconds. The rhythms of this record are big with a primitive sense of urgency. Songs like “Black Heaven” create an atmosphere of melodic cryptic ecstasy, with a drum beat that wakes the dead ten times over. Tombs never do the obvious in terms of time signatures; Path of Totality engages you with a deep level of thought. On CVLT Nation we do not rate records, but I was forced to rate this album I would give a 20 out 10. On June 7th, Path of Totality will be released via Relapse Records & then you will have the chance to escape into the Tombs. After the fall, check out some extra rad live footage!