In keeping with the recent trend of impressive demo tapes popping up from Ireland, Tome, from Antrim, add their names to an already formidable list that counts ZOM, Sodb and Sickener, who’ve all put out releases in the last 12 months, ranging from great to outright stunning. Self-described as sludge doom, it’s a description that hits the nail on the head. With just two tracks, this demo is just a concise teaser if anything but the two offerings – “In Fire and Ash” and “Void Cantation” are solid standalones to themselves.
For a mere trio, Tome conjure a deathly harrowing sound and of course are freakishly heavy with filthy reverb drenched vocals and rumbling walls of bass. Perhaps most importantly though, Tome create atmosphere. It seems to be the primary aim of the music once those first chilling notes of whirring guitars and sepulchral drums of “In Fire and Ash” begin to ring.
Cavernous gloom and sorrow reverberates around these grimy doom walls, the result of the trio’s combination of riffs that gladly tip their hat to Electric Wizard and vocals that bellow from the eerie depths, accentuated by a judicial use of reverb. While the riffs, for the most part, crawl at a snail’s pace, the drums keep busy with several tasteful fills between pained cries.
“Void Cantation” opens with slow, almost tribal-like drums, omitting a ceremonial vibe before guitars enter to start the ritual. This song really sees the vocals come to life with some of the more harrowing howls to be found, peppered sporadically throughout. It’s all capped off by the demo’s paciest riffing in the track’s second half where seemingly the band has been hit by a brief, but altogether invigorating, shot of adrenaline to close out. As a demo, this is promising stuff.
The band’s self-released first pressing of the demo is sold out but Into The Void Records will be issuing the second pressing with slightly modified artwork. Pre-orders are up HERE.
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