Alright, we’re picking up where last week’s madness left off. What can I say? If you look at Glacial Tomb’s album art, you’ll think, “Oh wow! This album has to slap”. It even has the perfect name: Lightless Expanse. If an album has an abstract or almost senseless title, you know it’s going to try to kill you. I’m sure some of you are coming in with your opinions already set. So instead of being an obnoxious contrarian just for clicks, I’ll try to add something meaningful to the discussion. Anyway, you’re here to find out if Glacial Tomb kicks butt or not. Let’s go!
Yes, this album is heavy—heavy like the sun. It walks that thin line between Brutal Death and Disso-Death, a space not many bands have successfully explored. That’s what makes it so interesting. Lightless is disgustingly heavy and uncanny without turning its riffs into anti-groove machines. The secret lies in how it uses breakdowns and melodic themes to bring the writing back to something close to a chorus. Obviously, there’s no real “chorus” here, but it helps you find your way through all the ultra-dense and insane bashing. Honestly, it’s a clever way to write such punishing material.
The two things I want to highlight most about this album are: first, it has a unique sound that represents most of the Death and Deathcore spectrum. Second, I just love how it sounds. It’s so mechanical yet warm at the same time. It’s like someone took all the settings of an old-school band and tried to play Tech Death or MeloDeath with them (seriously, it’s hard to put Glacial Tomb in a box). So, am I joining the legions of people praising this album unconditionally? Not so fast!
It’s strange. It took me a few listens to actually like Lightless. Initially, the transitions felt awkward, and I wasn’t sure about all those breakdowns. Now, I appreciate its creativity, but you’ve got to be ready for something that subverts your expectations. On another note, I would’ve liked more variety. This album is non-stop ear destruction, and as fun as that is, I could’ve used a bit of a change in pace. However, it’s a short album, so I can forgive that!
Glacial Tomb has set the bar high for its future releases. Honestly, I’m a little worried with all the great albums we’re getting lately—it’s going to make the end-of-year rankings so much harder. But, I doubt Glacial Tomb cares about that. So if you haven’t yet experienced this cosmic level of violence, there’s still time to jump in! It’s not for the faint of heart, but for those of you who just long for nasty riffs, Lightless Expanse has you covered.
Label: Prosthetic Records
Release date: 20 September 2024
Website: https://www.facebook.com/glacialtomb
Country: USA
Score: A black hole eating up galaxies, or 4.0/5.0
Metal Eclipse Reviews 