Crustcake Reviews: Tombs - Winter Hours [2/17/09; Relapse]

[Tombs now]

by crustcake gerf (NYC)

Where oh where to begin with this record? From the pounding percussion of opener "Gossamer" to the eerie atmosphere of the final outro "Old Dominion," Winter Hours is a complete, concise, and focused package.

Mixing frontman Mike Hill's (ex-Anodyne, Versoma) 'working-man,' hardcore-rooted vocals and guitar tones that range from ghostly to atmospheric to downright vicious with the precise and supportive bass lines of Carson Daniel James and the captivating, inventive drumming of Justin Ennis (who has since been replaced by Andrew Hernandez, ex-ASRA) with elements of black metal and post-rock, 'Winter Hours' is certainly greater than the sum of its parts. This isn't a hodge-podge of sleeve-worn influences-- though some of the influences are more apparent than others (Neurosis, Swans, Darkthrone). Tombs has really captured a sound all their own with Winter Hours.


[Tombs then-- 'Winter Hours' lineup]

Standout moments include the pummeling of the aforementioned "Gossamer" (video here), the assault-and-release of "Beneath the Toxic Jungle," the cathartic emotion of "Merrimack" (a personal favorite), and the dark energy and twists and turns of "Filled with Secrets." But there is nary a track on the record that ain't up to par.

The album as a whole is relatively short, clocking in just over 37 minutes, which may leave you itching for more. But that's a good thing, right? Better that than droning on too long, I say-- good albums always seem too short.

The pacing is nice, with a break in the intensity coming smack dab in the middle of the record ("Story of a Room") before the assault continues with "Divide," a more post-rock-influenced affair. Winter Hours finishes out nicely, with the slow burn of "Seven Stars of the Angel of Death" into the previously mentioned instrumental outro "Old Dominion," which just sort of floats away into the ether.

As for the physical product, well, the LP is available from Relapse in black or brown vinyl, but I opted for the black as it's of a heavier weight (180 grams). The single 12" LP is a gatefold, with a matte finish that's appropriate for Thomas Hooper's earth-tone watercolors which depict, on the cover, a gender-ambiguous holy figure-- a sort of 'miraculous watermark' you might find on an ancient scroll or a piece of toast. It's quite stunning and the original watercolor appears to be for sale from Hooper directly.

Lyrics are printed on the inside and the record itself is contained within a black slip with watercolor 'stains' on it.

Apologies for the craptacular photos. I don't have a proper 'camera obscura' handy and was forced to resort to my laptop's built-in camera, which is certainly better suited to taking brooding MySpace pics than quality shots of such a beautiful record. (Brooding MySpace pics totally coming soon.) Photo disaster averted, thanks Betsey!

Winter Hours certainly sets the bar extremely high for Tombs' future efforts, but I have a feeling the band is just starting to come into their own. I've had a chance to see them close to a dozen times over the last year or so, and I can say with confidence that nearly every time I've seen them they've improved. They're gearing up to hit the road with Isis and Pelican soon, so you know the future holds great things for this band.

9.5/10 [Audible]
8/10 [Physical]

Download: Tombs - "Gossamer" [MP3]
Listen: Tombs - Winter Hours [full album stream]
Buy: Tombs - Winter Hours [Relapse]