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NUCLEAR TOMB
Terror Labyrinthian

Everlasting Spew (2024)
Rating: 8/10

Almost a decade ago Baltimore, Maryland-based combo Nuclear Tomb teased out a 2015 single entitled ‘Kill The Clowns’ and then fell into silence, but then re-emerged three years later with a demo – Admission Of Guilt – which was followed by a brace of EPs – Succumbing (2019) and Offer Your Life (2021) – over a three year period. The promise to erupt was always there although the quartet stayed relatively underground, but now, finally, a full-length album is upon us and what better roster to be on than Everlasting Spew Records.

Nuclear Tomb’s debut is a sneering, technical hailstorm of death-thrash that marries the snarling intensity of Sadus with strains of Pestilence at their most experimental. A serrated menace runs through Terror Labyrinthian as the band is led by the dehydrated barks of Michael Brown who alongside Matt Ibach brings a tour de force in the axe department.

To a certain extent I did expect this outing to be more experimental, although there is still a lot going on with the numerous chord shifts and jarring episodes like on ‘Manufacturing Consent’ which boasts an angular Voivod-esque tirade, especially with the crazed bass work of Amelia Morris. The brooding chugs of ‘Born Into Torment’ are a menacing joy to behold, and JD Lookabill’s jagged percussion comes to the fore on the torrential ‘Vile Humanity’ and chaotic closer ‘Ashen Lamb’.

Some of the blasts on offer within the album remind me of Chilean deathaters Suppression, so while the influences here are clear this is still a potent outing that I’ll recommend to anyone who likes their death thrash technical but as warming as a blizzard
.

Neil Arnold

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