Death metal has seen a pretty inventive period come at us with force, with bands trying to stretch the parameters as far as humanly possible, seeing what really is achievable from such a crude art form. That follows in the footsteps of pioneers such as Death, Atheist, and Cynic who all eschewed convention decades ago, with the current crop taking that even further, making things incredibly exciting.

Ever since their formation in 2015, Tomb Mold operated on a different level than most other death metal bands, proving to be a storming force in the studio and in the live setting, where they absolutely destroy. Seriously, if you’ve never seen them before, change that. Now’s a good time because their unbelievable new record “The Enduring Spirit” is in our grasp, and it’s undoubtedly the best thing they’ve ever released. Which is saying something since they have a resume that cannot be fucked with. They are continuing their evolution on these seven songs, as the band—vocalist/drummer Max Klebanoff, guitarist/bassist Derrick Vella, guitarist Payson Power—adds softer parts, jazzier sequences, and dreamy transmissions that enhance the carnage. It makes their music more flexible and unpredictable, more exciting, and something that takes death metal to a new level of understanding.

“The Perfect Memory (Phantasm of Aura)” starts with the drums ripping off with power, the riffs stomping in their own right, everything spiraling and snapping alien-like. Raw growls tear in as the leads get more fluid, tricky melodies washing over everything. Great energy combusts as the speed flourishes, soaring into prog territory before bowing out. “Angelic Fabrications” roars in, brutality flowing from every pore, the growls punishing as the guitar work erupts. We’re face to face with animalistic chaos as the bruising amplifies, the bass snakes and crawls through the muck, and then speedier riffs tangle, bringing everything to a beastly, chunky end. “Will of Whispers” is the first real sign of changes, and it’s exhilarating hearing this band take these chances. Gentler and cleaner guitars add a breeze, giving off Dream Unending vibes (Vella’s other band), and then things turn grisly. The playing blisters and buries as the guitars go off on a journey, scorching with power before things turn clean and dreamy again. The growls are channeled as everything rushes trough icy tunnels, leaving events frozen in time.

“Fate’s Tangled Thread” has a pulverizing and pleasingly perplexing start, letting the hammers fly as the growls retch, and the battering tones do a number on your senses. There’s a strange sci-fi vibe that infects your blood, then the guitars fire on all cylinders churning through fires and horror vibes, blasting to an imaginative end. “Flesh as Armour” is a complete assault as the death ruptures and mangles, the intensity rocketing your body temperature. It’s easy to be caught off guard and utterly mauled, then the riffs begin to ripple through the earth, drilling and crushing rock, chewing on exposed muscle on its way to digesting you whole. “Servants of Possibility” has the guitars lighting up right away, the growls burying your fears in the clutches of its jaws. The playing is spacious and devastating, the roars rage and refuse to apply the tourniquet, the trickiness blends into total ferocity. The playing toys with your brain, the guitars slice into space and time, bringing confusion raining down, stomping to a mauling end. Closer “The Enduring Spirit of Calamity” runs 11:36, easily the longest Tomb Mold song to date, and it has a brainy, burly start that scratches and claws its way into your brain. The band makes good use of this extended run, the guitars showing violence and intelligence at the same time, the growls digging into chest cavities. Things move into a jazzy, elegant terrain, the guitars lathering and numbing, angling into a hazy sunburst that’s surprisingly warm. Sun bursts through the clouds at the end of this immersive sleep, the playing jolts you from comfort, and the growls sink in their canines. The bass is rubbery and dexterous, prog-fueled bursts strike from every angle, and everything ends in shrapnel.

Tomb Mold’s ambition has been pretty clear from the start, but “The Enduring Spirit” is such a light-years advancement for them, it’s astonishing to behold. There’s a new life to this vile death metal, a dash into the future that they are molding and the rest of us get to experience as it morphs into whatever form of glory it embodies next. It’s a tired cliche, but this is next-level shit, the type of record that cements this band’s legend and makes them one of the standard bearers of death metal in 2023 and beyond.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/tombmold

To buy the album, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/tombmold

For more on the label, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/