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Band: Forgotten Tomb
Album title: ...And Don’t Deliver Us From Evil...
Release date: 30 October 2012
Label: Agonia Records
Tracklisting:
01. Deprived
02. ...And Don’t Deliver Us From Evil...
03. Cold Summer
04. Let’s Torture Each Other
05. Love Me Like You’d Love The Death
06. Adrift
07. Nullifying Tomorrow
08. Transmission (Joy Division cover) [digipack bonus]
09. Sore (Buzzov•en cover) [vinyl bonus]
"A chronic lack of trust in life
What else could you expect?
Everything deserves to be gone
I chose to run towards the end"
The nihilistic feeling which this release gives to a listener can best be described by the words above from lyrics of "Love Me Like you'd Love The Dead". …And Don’t Deliver Us From Evil… is already the sixth album from this Italian obscure band. They went through one kind of major change within their sound with their previous album Under Saturn Retrograde which showed the band in more rocking version of their typical black/doom sound. Anyway, this album is a continuation from that one, but it's also a connection with their past as there is certain dose of depressive atmosphere which this band so magnificiently developed on their third studio album Love's Burial Ground. With this kind of grip the band gained a lot on dynamics and album is certainly more vivacious as there are really a lot more of interesting and atmospheric soundscapes then ever before, but with all that said the band managed to keep their sound extremely dark and yes, nihilistic, melancholic, suicidal and depressive.
"A will to do harm
To ourselves and to all lives that we’ll cross
We chose a path with no way back
Let us touch the ecstasy of iniquity"
…And Don’t Deliver Us From Evil… offers a lot from musical aspect. It has a certain flow that connects songs from start till the very last note. Although with very raw sound Forgotten Tomb managed to make somehow modern product. They use a lot of elements that are borrowed from different genres, so we can find within their absolutely black & roll attitude also elements that can be described as avantgarde metal or at some tiny parts almost progressive. Those who like old kind of doomy thrash as Celtic Frost used to make on their early stages can find a lot of that up here, just listen to for example "Cold Summer". There is also a lot of typical heavy metal, doom metal and of course the main vibe is black metal, the most depressive one, Sweden Shining comes in mind, but at the same time the vocal approach could remind at some parts to the one from Attila Csihar from legendary Mayhem. Vocals are very expressive and give that necesary dark atmosphere. This time they used less clean vocals than on their previous album, only in great "Adrift" could be heard some and this song shows that Forgotten Tomb are familiar also with shoegaze and post-rock. Some simple, but very effective guitar leads keep the thing interesting even when you almost thought that they'll be loosing the pace, but no, not to mention very provocative acoustic insertions, like on amazing "Love Me Like You’d Love The Death". I can't forget to mention very dominant and groovy bass guitar which adds a lot of positive points to this album. Yes, of course, the melody..., everything finds it's ultimate essence in marvelous melancholic melodic lines which can best be enjoyed in last three songs and that's what brings in mind another band that I'm sure influenced them a lot - Katatonia.
"Trust me when I tell you
Today I just don’t care if I live or die
I hate you all for giving me the illusion
that someone cares
We’re born alone, we die alone"
This time we can witness to probably most expressive lyrics this band has ever written or better said their leader and songwriter Ferdinando 'Herr Morbid' Marchisio. Very nihilistic view to life and society of today is expressed through very vivid and sincere lines. I enjoyed a lot this one, it's dark, but at the same time within all this blackness there is a flame that gives life and makes this record one of the most enthusiastic from Forgotten Tombs discography. Good production, the only negative comment goes to sometimes overexagerated repetitiveness of some refrains, like in otherwise still enjoyable "Let’s Torture Each Other". With all that said I must conclude with saying that I was impressed with how this band managed to make such a compact and flowing piece of art with all before mentioned influences. It's all that and much more, but the soul of Forgotten Tomb is in rock'n'roll and that's probablly the reason which makes everything so listenable, it gives certain drive and depth. …And Don’t Deliver Us From Evil… is an album that amazes with its desperation and rawness, it's not that complex, yet it offers a lot to discover, because with every consequent listen you can find more hidden things. Lets finish with this stanza from "Nullifying Tomorrow".
"It’s so hard for you to accept
What I say is what I believe in
There’s a difference between you and me
You just pretend, I fucking mean it"
Review written by: T.V.
Rating: 8,5/10
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