ALBUM REVIEW: Tomb Of God – Fimir
Howling straight out of Finland like an arctic wind comes a new project and a new debut by the name of FIMIR. Formed in 2019 by former CHURCH OF VOID members G. Funeral, Magus Corvus, H. Warlock and former SEPTIC APES’ drummer H. Wizzard, this new collective has unveiled their debut album Tomb Of God. Will this new endeavour outshine the previous efforts of its members though, or will it fall flat by comparison?
One Eyed Beast starts with a dolorous bell, which is promptly chased by a fuzz-laden, beefed up bassline that runs straight into the main riff. It holds a prominent groove and a vocal approach that may put the listener in mind of one REVEREND BIZARRE, only somewhat gloomier. The mix is a notable feature, as the bass is suitably high, giving the whole thing a chunk, a meatiness that puts a severe amount of weight behind the riffs and effortlessly cool solos present throughout. It’s a strong opener, with no loss of quality to be found in the bong-rattling chaser Horde Of Crows. It’s a faster number comprised of strong, pulsating bass and driving drums. It gets slower and spacier through the verses and throws out a satisfying, bluesy guitar solo to round everything off.
White Wolf follows hungrily from behind, heralding an atmospheric intro shattered by a rumbling of titanic, planet-smashing bass that builds into a pretty oppressive riff, sounding like one of the slower IMMORTAL jams ran through an enormous subwoofer, betraying a palpable black metal influence lurking just under the surface. Unconventional angular riffs pulled from FIMIR’s melting pot of influences further prove this, but impressively it manages not to become confused or confusing though, it really works. We get some quite harsh vocals blended with the standard full throated doomy bellows, which compliment the track nicely and keep things varied and interesting.
Cresting over the horizon is the excellently titled Obsidian Giant, a lumbering bassline and vocals that could be likened to Pete Steele’s iconic baritone open the track and are followed by a lumbering stride of a riff that lurches around much like it’s titanic namesake. Next we find ourselves entering the Temple Of Madness. A striking intro sample gives way to a strobing, bass-heavy riff that carries us through to a calmer segment overlaid with strained wailing. This all soon fades away until all that is left is a cro-magnon slab of impenetrably thick reverberating bass, piercing guitar lines and drums that are clearly being stress-tested to their skin’s absolute limit. It’s doused in atmosphere this one and leaves a lasting impression.
Mausoleum Craft is the outro track, weaving together that ever present gut-rumbling bass with some vibrant and engaging guitar lines and a semi-operatic vocality that sounds like Messiah’s best work with CANDLEMASS. This is another like its opposite bookend in One Eyed Beast, in that it’s a massive, lumbering jam that is super easy to listen to and is overwhelmingly enjoyable right up until it eventually rots into feedback.
Overall, with Tomb Of God, we find a band that is carving out a vibrant and engaging groove in the weathered face of the monolith that is doom metal. FIMIR have written a cracker of a debut, distancing themselves thoroughly from their previous works and showing that even in a vastly different genre, they can still write a fearsome and fantastic record.
Rating: 8/10
Tomb Of God is out now via Argonauta Records.
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