Introspective, hideous, irresistible filth. It’s really hard to sit and write about how good the new Tomb Mold is, but it’s worth a try. If you tend to enjoy ugly, crunchy, deliciously savage death metal, you may also end up obsessing and exclaiming profanities of all kinds on the first listen of Planetary Clairvoyance and many times afterwards.
If you’re about to try taking this in casually, as background while you brew your morning coffee or slug through your day staring at a screen, forget it. This juggernaut demands your full attention. You’re definitely going to want to blast it at maximum volume and mosh/move/commune with whatever’s around you at the moment. Or do what I did and bust out your good headphones, do your best impression of a starfish, and let the overwhelming intensity absorb your soul.
The sound is massive and really gritty with sparingly placed cosmic interludes, creating an undeniable creeping tension throughout. Feeling short at just over 38 minutes, nothing is wasted here. Huge intro “Beg For Life” dives right in at 3:40 and goes for the throat at 5:30 (yes. yes. yes.) A minute in to “Infinite Resurrection”, at 16:05, is absolute breakdown delight and it hits maximum danceability with the opening of aptly named “Accelerative Phenomenae” at 20:00.
Danceability? Oh yes, indeed, it has plenty of groove. You may be reminded of the strange juxtaposition of atmospheres in the vein of Dismember or Entombed – something that’s incredibly oppressive, and at the same time teeming with glorious riffs that are so – pretty and melodic? Ugh, how?! It’s grindy and dirty and clean and weird. Maybe I’m just weird, maybe you are (see, introspective) but whatever the case, you can’t deny those big fat drops. The last few moments of “Heat Death” picks you up and throws you into some kind of space swamp. Go ahead and drown in it.
Planetary Clairvoyance on 20 Buck Spin
