Tomb Of Finland bounces back.
Formed in 2009 in Finland, the band composed of Olli Saakeli Suvanto (vocals, Kaunis Kuolematon, End of Aeon), Mikko Hannuksela (guitar, ex-Ghost Guard), Ville Kangasharju (bass, Elvenscroll, ex-Sense of Fall), Janne Lukki (drums, Elvenscroll, Sense of Fall) and Jasse von Hast (guitar, ex-Charon) announces the release of their third album, Across the Barren Fields, through Uprising! Records.
The album opens with Waiting For The End, a raw-sounding track which lets abrasive melodies work their way through the heavy rhythmic. Powerful vocal parts reinforce the contrast between melancholic leads and their sound’s violence, which continues on Coffin Bound and its heavy but catchy groove. The coldness of the track gives it a majestic atmosphere, fueled by the choirs and dark Doom roots, while the band becomes more aggressive on Perpetual Entombment and its fast riffs. The track will also feature melancholic leads and heavier parts, but one quickly feels that the band forged this track with rage, which is quite different from Cursed Be The One, the next one. Mysterious sounds mixed with a haunting and melancholic heaviness completed by those massive vocal parts, sometimes interspersed with more lively elements, which drives us to Wretched Bliss and its broken quietness. Vocals reveal more visceral tones while the efficient rhythmic bewitches us, before leaving us with Shadows Of The North and its devastating Old School influences. The rhythmic basis remains anchored in catchy tones while melodies borrow from Gothic Metal as well as from Heavy Metal, then Nightfall reveals warlike and majestic tones. The track cleverly alternates between the two shades of its universe while adding mystical elements, then it leaves us with the long The Gallows, which puts forward the band’s multiple influences in a dark, rich and melancholic composition. The burning rage will finally calm down, then it will give way to the short In Memoriam, a kind of eulogy to the album that will end after this sublime outro.
Between Death, Doom and Black Metal, Tomb Of Finland forges a melancholic sound anchored in Old School sonorities. Across the Barren Fields takes us on a journey into darkness with very catchy and haunting compositions, creating an addictive wave of sadness.
85/100
