Tombstone awakes again.
Created in 2005 in Indonesia, the band formed by Thorner and Nirrojim remained silent until 2020, when they released their first album. In 2022, the duo returned with To the Existence of Light, which was released in physical form the following year by Gutter Prince Cabal.
With To the Existence of Light, the two musicians want to take us back to the apocalyptic and dark atmosphere of the 90s Old School Black Metal. It is obvious that the dirty and oppressive mix greatly contributes to the dissonance of these heavy and cold riffs which still keep this Nordic melodic approach.
Wolfsbane, the first track, is an excellent example of it since it links a majestic introduction to sometimes sharp and sometimes soaring riffs, as well as to this rather characteristic ghostly vocals. But the band also knows how to let rage speak as on Disillusionize, the following track, where the first riffs are fast and raw, leaving little room for softer leads while vocals grab us by the throat, but we’ll notice this soothing break followed by a heavier part before the final charge leads us to Vain and its epic rhythmic. The two musicians perfectly know how to handle their influences to develop an icy universe directly borrowed from the style’s creators who were already wearing an impressive stage outfit to match their riffs’ strength. Quietness is not forgotten yet, just like on Into The Woods which will let more haunting sounds bewitch us before the song resurfaces in this dark cloud, and we will feel the same on Guardians Of Land And Sea which gives way to a heady slowness before screams haunt our mind. Although sometimes strengthened by sharp melodies, the sound remains relatively soothing, especially on this final filled with choirs, then the band dedicates Far To The North, their shortest composition, to fury. The warlike sound perfectly fits their universe, but it quickly gives way to To The Existence Of Light, the eponymous track, which closes the album with a long melodic lament, making the ancestral rage come back to life through Old School patterns, which will end up mixing the two universes to finally slowly fade away.
Fans of 90’s Black Metal will be delighted with Tombstone. Although their first release is very recent, the band remains in their cold and dark universe, making To the Existence of Light a gem to perpetuate the legend.
90/100
