Tar Pit - Tomb of Doom (2019)
Following a few line-up adjustments and
a hard-to-find demo, the Portland-based quintet of Tar Pit have
emerged with their debut album, boasting about forty minutes of
hot-blooded doom metal across its five tracks. Drawing from the
late-'70s/early-'80s vibes of basements, dungeons, and caverns, along
with the inclination to build expansive narratives, the group tempers
the quirks of yesteryear with some firm structuring, focused
production handling, and a meaner demeanor. The tracks flow into
each other with fine style, the grooves are deep and dirty, and the
guitar solos, when they arise, are both vivacious and suitably
downcast.
As the album goes on, it really gets
its hooks into you, aided by the clever positioning of the tracks;
they start out with the longest song, then gradually shorten them
down to the middle, then grow them back out on the way to the end.
It's a neat way of accelerating the pace without sacrificing any of
the weight, and seeing it put to use on a first album impresses
further how much potential this band has. There's nothing to detract
from Tomb of Doom's power as
an album in its own right, though, with no sign of the fumbles or
self-conscious second-guessing that so regularly pop up to pull down
early works. If anything, my complaint would be that it feels a
little short, but at the same time, that helps them keep it trim and
punchy.
While I'll be sour that I won't have a
chance to see these guys live anytime soon, that's somewhat salved by
the knowledge that a copy of the album is on its way. Check them out
for yourself, snag a copy of the cassette pressing if that's a format
you rock (only 100 copies made), and keep your ears perked for more
to come from Tar Pit. In the musical world, at least, 2019 is
starting off on a good note.
~ Gabriel
For Fans Of; Below, Blood Farmers,
Goya, Merlin, Saint Vitus
~
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