Savage Gold by Tombs

TOMBS’ third album Savage Gold is the most anticipated underground metal album of 2014. The band’s sophomore LP Path Of Totality unanimously topped 2011 end of the year metal lists (everyone from Decibel to Pitchfork to NPR, and more, dubbed it their top album of that year). Savage Gold focuses the awesome strength of Tombs’ previous works into one brilliantly dark post-punk and extreme black-metal masterpiece. Recorded and produced by Hate Eternal’s Erik Rutan (Cannibal Corpse, Goatwhore), Savage Gold both expands upon the moody post-punk foundations that Tombs’ prior albums explored while also bringing out the band’s most traditionally metal moments yet. Once every few years a record comes along that sets a new benchmark for what can be done in heavy music. This is that moment and this is that record.

8.3 / 10

For the first five years of their existence, New York metal outfit Tombs sounded undecided about their sound, but their third album is one of the year’s absolute heavy metal masterstrokes. Working with American death metal demigod Erik Rutan, they've mustered the heaviest elements of their sound for a cohesive, propulsive, and definitive statement.

8 / 10

In 2011, Decibel handing Tombs the distinction of "album of the year." With Savage Gold, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more eagerly anticipated release this year.

4.0 / 5

A review of Savage Gold by Tombs, available June 9th in Europe and June 10th in North America via Relapse Records.

5 / 10

50 %

Tombs’ newest album has been billed as atmospheric sludge metal, but, despite that interesting billing, it’s really just a straightforward metal release, and a tame one at that.