Forgotten Tomb (2017) We Owe You Nothing 'Review'

Band: Forgotten Tomb

Country of Origin: Italy

Genre: Black Death Sludge metal

Type: Full Length

Format: Digital 320 kbps
Length Approx.: 41:00 min.

Release Date: 10-27-2017

Release Label: Agonia Records

IR Classification: Good (4.1 / 5)

Listen our review! (English)

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Creative Black Death Sludge metal

In my humble opinion, here we have a general misconception of what really delivers Forgotten Tomb within their ninth album entitled "We Owe You Nothing" for starters, I believe that Forgotten Tomb definitely walked away from their roots, What is wrong with it? Nothing! I believe, that is the perpetual path that a musicians have to go across, keep on moving, expand their boundaries, blend elements from here and there and by doing that, they should know that some fans will abandon them and while others will remain faithful to them.

The trio leaded by Herr Morbid, deepens in previous directions they had taken for "Hurt Yourself and the Ones You Love" adding more versatility into their songwriting giving a result to something between a groovy southern Sludge and Death metal sound; They still have some Black metal elements and some dark ambience to show up and they really try to highlight those moments.

"We Owe You Nothing" is the first track of the album from the very beginning is strong, with powerful riffs of accentuated grooves and is able to achieve such unrelenting aggressivity, followed by "Second Chances" it doesn't softener the pace and just keep on going with merciless chords, at a certain point the voice echoes in my head and inevitably the vague memory of the vocals of the album "The End Complete" by Obituary emerge, "Saboteur" the musical structure is more varied with faster riffs, while Asher pummeling incessantly the drums to deliver an outstanding work and once again the vocals with that Tardy-scheme appear, next is "Abandon Everything" elaborated with such a contrast among the raw and acoustic composition, seems like they approach to the boundaries of Death-Doom metal, "Longing for Decay" certainly grabs a handful of slow pace riffs defining indisputably the ground where Forgotten Tomb stands up nowadays, the closing and instrumental cut "Black Overture" feels like a constant torrent that drags you by a desolate landscape, where souls collide and fade away to see the inheritance of humanity.

I have to end up admitting that "We Owe You Nothing" indeed, it means exactly that, they don't owe you nothing, if you're still loving the old stuff and you're not ready to depart with them, let me tell you one thing, we will be just fine without you and I include myself because I like what I hear and expect more new elements to come.

Stay True... Stay Metal... Stay Brutal...

Track List:

01. We Owe You Nothing

02. Second Chances
03. Saboteur
04. Abandon Everything
05. Longing for Decay
06. Black Overture

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Forgotten Tomb (2015) Hurt Yourself and the Ones You Love

Band: Forgotten Tomb

Country of Origin: Italy

Status: Active

Genre: Blackened Depressive Doom metal

Type: Full Length

Format: CD (Digipak)

Length Approx.: 51:00 min.

EU Release Date: 04-17-2015

US Release Date: 04-21-2015

Current label: Agonia  Records
Release label: Agonia  Records

IR Classification: Moderate (3.4 / 5)

Depressive black metal mixed with malignancy and grooves.

It has been sixteen years since Forgotten Tomb came to the light for the first time in their native Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna in Italy with seven full-length albums in their history and hundreds of shows around the world, two classic albums "Songs to Leave" (2002) and "Springtime Depression" (2003) that gave way to a new and emerging genre called Depressive black metal, now they deliver us their eighth full-length album entitled "Hurt Yourself and the Ones You Love" this album could be defined as a natural progression from their previous album "... And don't Deliver Us from Evil" released in the fall of (2012) and differs musically a lot from their firsts recordings which fall in a very lonely ambience with dark tones and sounds very depressive.

The sound currently developed by Forgotten Tomb can be described in a manner similar to the path taken by Katatonia, but with its own identity these is an unusual mixture of black/doom metal, incorporating elements of stoner rock and some groovy riffs here and there while retaining the traditional harsh vocals of black metal.

Ferdinando "Herr Morbid" Marchisio coment: “The new album is a mix of melancholy, groove and pure malignancy”

"We kept the sound very organic and natural, kinda old-fashioned but still very fresh. The new songs are heavy as fuck and they feature our classic trademark plus some new elements. I can't wait for people to listen to it, 'cause it's a really special album for us and probably the most extreme we did in quite a while, both musically and conceptually".

The first track offering this album is "Soulless Upheaval" in the vein of black metal but there you can appreciate some melodic grooving riff  the best part of this track is reached after the minute 5:10 killer guitar solo, undoubtedly the best track of the whole album then comes, "King of the Undesirables" holds the same powerful attitude and the lyrics are sung convincingly about the minute 4:20 a bass guitar solo very well executed adds dark and malignancy as described by Forgotten Tomb, "Bad Dreams Comes True" is the third track and begins with a solid deep stoner riff and the bass throwing decadent low tunes and it shows what are they up to do reaching the end of the track they decide to fast pace the melody building up a wall of sounds impressive, next is the track that gives the title to this album "Hurt Yourself and the Ones You Love" is a mid pace dark ambience song it feel dense and much likely comparable to their early recordings, "Mislead the Snakes" is another track and here is the low point of this album here I can't find nothing catchy and make me lose interest for a moment, "Dread the Sundown" is the longest track and definitely dominant, energetic doom metal rooted in black metal, finally we have "Swallow the Void" an instrumental track with a very depressive dark feeling and awake the deepest melancholic mood within you.

Certainly this is not a bad album, as I mentioned before but unfortunately there are only some moments of climax that speak out and strong about this full length, despite the cover art that is very sick, explicit and unique, I couldn't find much sense to hurt myself and those that I love.

Stay True... Stay Metal… Stay Brutal…

Track list:

1. Soulless Upheaval
2. King of the Undesirables
3. Bad Dreams Come True
4. Hurt Yourself and the Ones You Love
5. Mislead the Snakes
6. Dread the Sundown
7. Swallow the Void (Instrumental)











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