ALBUM REVIEW: Lightless Expanse – Glacial Tomb
As we approach the end of a blissful year for death metal, the yearn for something to grip us becomes ever present. GLACIAL TOMB’s corruption (their words) of the already infamous pairing of black and death metal with sludge may do just that.
Tapping into multiple genres, Lightless Expanse is a masterfully amalgamated creation. Following their debut release in 2018, the record is an all you can eat buffet of riffs and a serious force to be reckoned with. At its heart, it’s a death metal album, pounding through with devastating force, with added dashes of flavour and ferocity. The record levels up from its predecessor. The invitation of bassist David Small into the fold injects a freshness to the band’s songwriting, making for an invigorating listen. Each track carries an unsettling narrative that pulses through the album, touching on mental health, grief, cosmic horrors and boy, can you feel the suffering.
Matching the theming, Stygian Abattoir starts the record off bleak. However, initially the album feels slightly too similar to the numerous tech-death offerings of recent memory. The quality remains the same, but there’s a hankering for a face-slapping edge. Following tracks Voidwomb and Enshrined In Concrete feature grotesque doom-laden moments that feel thick with dread, but if you need an instant hook, you may not find it here.
In spite of that, all hope is not lost. Cue Abyssal Host, marking the turning point of the record with an absolutely brutal assault of feral belligerence. Kicking off with a cacophony of harsh, energetic blasts and fast, fiery riff work, the track launches into a shredding d-beat section that hits the ears perfectly, making you want to absorb its visceral prowess. Changing once again for the final minute, the pace slows and concludes with an overwhelming morbid flare. This is the band at their very best, and it’s flawless.
From this point on, the calibre of extremity continues. Seraphic Mutilation pulls from the blackened influence on the record. A journey of winding foreboding riffs seep through a rancid, demonic haze, immaculately finished with Ben Hutcherson’s sinister growls. While the latter may be drenched in malevolence, Worldflesh is doused in thrills with its circular hypnotic riff that etches its way into your skull.
Lightless Expanse’s mix of fast-paced death grinds and laggy-sludge passages is discombobulating, in a good way. There’s a colossal weight that carries throughout the album, juxtaposed with beautifully crisp cathartic solos and disciplined melodies, making you unsure where you’re going to be plunged into next. Despite the multidimensional elements that build each track, the execution is effortless. Hutcherson’s elegant switches between mammoth gutturals and high-register gravelly shrieks are impeccable, melding with and enriching the instrumentals.
Despite the slow start, Lightless Expanse is a grower and the beginning does not taint the remainder of the record. GLACIAL TOMB have constructed a stellar album that stands up against the releases of this year. The cathartic tone against heavy lashings that permeate the album make for a punishing listen. On this trajectory, whatever the band have up their sleeve for the next release is sure to be great.
Rating: 8/10
Lightless Expanse is out now via Prosthetic Records.
Like GLACIAL TOMB on Facebook.