TOMB SLAB (SLUDGE, REVIEW) - SELF TITLED (RELEASED JULY 17TH, ROAD TO MASOCHIST RECORDS)
The album is as disgusting as the time Bog had to use a nail file to remove the mould between his ball sack and thigh. Sometimes you have to use toilet paper to wipe it off, but it had dried a little too hard, so it was a fun day, but enough of the Bog mishap memoirs for now.
Tomb Slab are on the Road To Masochist roster along with fellow sickness sludge mongers BLÜDWYRM. All of them have caught Bog's ear, so shout to y'all!
1. Kingdom of Tyranny opens with a crushing riff intro supported by the vocals in a symphony of desolate grime to assault the ears. Bog can hear the influences instantly, but no more of that, here we look at band/artists on their own merit, and Tomb Slab are not just a merit, but a distinction of heavy af dirt and audio filth. Bog was listening closely, hoodie up, stood on his magical device with DJ headphones, and it's just a blast to listen to.
1.45 in the track has a patient build with sick riffs continuing to flow to the inevitable tempo change up. Bog's stained mouth was dripping with saliva and he can barely scribe. Y'all do something for Bog, at 3.10 turn it up loud af. A big f*ck off drop starts and you will feel the weight of the music from the riffs, drums, bass, leads, and vocals combining to convey the effect of watching a foot coming to your balls in slow motion.
The impending pain draws near and the response is "yup that's a good one", collapse, fall, and crawl through the mud mumbling 'f*ckty f*ck'.
That f*cking riff on the drop. Bog rolled around in the bog water and belly splashed in time to the rhythm.
Bog couldn't help think how sick it would be to hear the audio's sonic value bounce from wall to wall in an underground lair. Grab a good set of headphones, it really does justice to the production and sound.
Kingdom of Tyranny also features good windmill sections combined with solid smash into each other moments for the pit.
Mixing and mastering is tight, the change up, drops, layering, and all parts of the drums can be heard. Frequencies and pitch are nice. Bog loved hearing all of this in the music. The outro is cool featuring a sample with a dude saying 'aaaeeyyyy' maybe? Remember when Bog said about riffs kicking you in the balls? Bog thinks the dude may be in the middle of that situation on the outro.
Cool af track to open up the album.
2. The Butcher - F*CKKKKKKKK! F*CKING BASSSSSSS!!!!, AND LEAD RIFF WITH FATTY ASS DRUMS!!!! What an intro! Bog's piss is dribbling down his thunder thighs from over excitement. F*ck Bogs! There is a signature tone repeated throughout the track and the notes are sick, and they really do provide The Butcher with the key sonic foundation.
Bogs, The Butcher is one to really hear and its exhilarating. The drum pace flows nicely and Bog could hear it from the start, then again in the background as the track gathers momentum.
Production, flow, sync, pitch, instruments, and vocals all function solid and not out of step.
Appreciated the tempo change ups, switches were cool, and are like when you drop in and out to speed up and down in patient build ups to deliver sonic tension.
Dean's vocals were solid on The Butcher and we can hear the contrast between high and low tones throughout the track, especially on a later section where he holds the higher note. Cleanly recorded, but they still come through harsh af.
Outro fades nicely to take us into track 3. Rawhead.
Another nice intro with an amusing sample, followed by a strong riff opener, then the drums join to step this up, and the vocals follow. Rawhead has some groove to it with good stoner riffing and excellent clean drums.
2.09 signature riffage again to encourage the rolling around in the bog water department to step up and join a circle pit.
2.18, the drop, oh just oh!!!! Beautiful mosh grooves kicking in full force.
It made Bog fire up the muckmaw powerboat and rip through the mud water causing waves of grime. The musicianship is interesting on Rawhead, because after the mosh breakdown there are sick af layered dirt stoner/bluesish notes dripping through. Again, Bog was thinking audio sounds in venues with Tomb Slab playing. Be a way to light up a room with pleasing grotesque musical filth.
Slow patient outro full of mood and ideal to mix and transition into another track.
4. What's Below Remains Below - Links nicely to follow on from Rawhead, especially concerning the lead riff intro. F*ck Bogs, this is infectious shit. Sounds like a witch jamming at a cauldron.
The riff line before they kick to the next rhythm. It's repeated throughout the track, but it hooks the ears and slays! Bog liked it a lot. It extends too and is like
the building block of the track. Vox works well in time with the pace.
What's Below Remains Below is the shortest track and is a direct filth monger, but an enjoyable high energy track, which is elating.
Bog was counting the BPM and rolling around in bog water again whilst listening, or was he on the muckmaw powerboat? He was elated, so probably in the muck somewhere!
Production remains strong and hasn't slipped up, and there is no faltering. This is so much fun to listen to Bogs! Outro cuts out clean, transitioning cleanly to 5. Tomb of Flesh, which is a haunting crawl from the crypt to rage at someone for waking you up after the night shift.
Sonically, another nice lead riff introduces the mad crypt friend running and the whole track feels like a horror procession. It's definitely the doomiest track with big riffage and traditional heavy metal tones, which added another flavor to the grime cake.
6. Toils of the Unclean Spirit - A title that would work as the name for a documentary about Bog's flushing habits, but in this current situation we are speaking of sludge muck of course!
The longest track, which does get a little doomier as it progresses, and has the haunting atmosphere described in Tomb of Flesh.
Don't overlook Tomb Slab Bogs, they are heavy, they are nasty, they are filthy, but there is an atmosphere and other muck tones in their music, probably why Bog is enjoying the music so much.
4.31- 4.46 has a bassline that slays af, then the lead riffs plays the same notes into an extended riff attack. Bog was belly splashing in the bog water over and over. Important point to remember, it's the opening bassline from the intro with the lead rhythm playing the same notes.
Super interesting to hear them run from start to finish, and dropping in as a well played tight breakdown riffage (not in the hardcore sense), which also sets up the outro for the final part of the track in the next section.
Dean's vocals sync for the coming outro riff, which extends and holds, then the track moves to the fade out. It's mad cool, because it replicates the feel of the intro a little, apart from the drum kicks, but is sick.
Solidly constructed track.
Rating: Bog enjoyed Tomb Slab's self titled full album and really appreciated how the tracks were built and flowed.
Bog counted the BPMs, banged his head to the rhythm, riffs, drums, and the vocalist has a good presence.
The production, audio levels, and instruments are clean, balanced, and there is no dropping, or drowning each section out. Super appreciated the transitions with the intro and outros to change up pace. It was difficult for Bog not think with his other world's mind when listening, because the drops were timed, and he could recognize them.
Bog would recommend some high quality headphones to appreciate the layering with the tracks.
Bogs, Tomb Slab are beautifully disgusting with gutter puke tracks full of scum grime!
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578623263649
https://www.instagram.com/tomb_slab_band/
https://tombslab.bandcamp.com/
