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TOMB MOLD
Aperture Of Body (2022)

I’m hoping this new three-track demo from Toronto’s Tomb Mold is just a teaser for a much anticipated new full-length as it’s been three years since 2019’s Planetary Clairvoyance album.

Aperture Of Body brings that same, solid death metal aesthetic which made their other work so wholesome. Admittedly, some segments of their previous albums may have appeared a tad generic, or more so forgettable, especially when compared to some of the other bands doing the rounds within the genre who have taken the dank or cosmic atmosphere to new levels.

The demo begins with ‘Final Assembly Of Light’ which is just a celestial sci-fi soundtrack of synth, one for the Stranger Things fans no doubt. But as soon as the title cut kicks in we are descending into a barrage of fleshy riffage, and those deep, chesty coughs of Max Klebanoff alongside his own hammering percussion.

In the great scheme of things it’s engaging, yet awkwardly angular death metal and not particularly gloomy, but the solo work is to be admired as the leads penetrate the dense mesh of rhythm. Blasts of speed are entwined with passages of wondrous melody and slower, mid-tempo expression. It is the axe work though which takes Tomb Mold’s sound into otherworldly realms and that’s why I keep coming back.

A lot of bands have distinguishing features which set them apart and with Tomb Mold it’s the riffs and leads. How they manage to provide a heavy, engaging riff but then throw you off guard with a quizzical lead or a stirring twist is beyond me. And yet it’s not as if it’s specifically jazzed up or spasmodic to the point of inaccessible, but what I do like about Tomb Mold’s work is their ability to pull you in so that each time you revisit you discover something new.

‘Prestige Of Rebirth’ sums up the magic of Tomb Mold as we are treated to a mid-tempo, catchy groove then strangled by a wiry solo. This is not a band that rests on its laurels.

It’s a shame the demo does only features two tracks of actual death metal, but there’s enough variety on this tape to throw you enough curve balls until the band’s fourth album drops.

The Aperture Of Body demo is available here.

Neil Arnold

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