CD released via Morbid Chapel Records Order of The Abyssal Moon MMXX
The debut full length from Indonesia’s Forbidden Tomb, ‘The Prospector’, is being released on a limited run of CDs by Morbid Chapel Records, and it is some fairly harsh black metal. It is out now. ‘Into the Crypt’ is an eerie, synth-led introduction that leads into the savage, rattling embrace of ‘Crypt I’, ‘Crypt II’ and ‘Crypt III’; three great examples of raw and harsh black metal at its bleakest, most lo-fi grimness. An unbearable, clattering buzzsaw scythes through your aural capabilities, shrieking vocals clawing at the very fringes of reality, aching to burst through into the voiceless void. ‘Old Spirit’ grants the briefest respite before the unholy, howling hellstorm returns. The production is paper thin, but it adds so much raw atmosphere to the relentless, monotonous grimness. ‘Crypt IV’ is the icy peak of this approach, cacophonous and painfully raw, it captures the essence of what Forbidden Tomb are going for. ‘The Prospector’ is not very long, but for music this unforgiving, this raw and this punishing, that may be a blessing in disguise. Forbidden Tomb are a nasty, malignant force for black metal in the Far East, and long may it continue. We need some of this utter raw darkness in life these days, and ‘The Prospector’ is an excellent example of it. totally cold, raw and disturbing Black Metal in vein of Black Cilice
"Forbidden Tomb is a wonderfully adequate raw black record that feels cold and uninviting. Perfect for those looking to be disturbed"
One thing about Heavy Metal and its different sub-genres I like are the cover artworks. Very often one look is enough to know the style and what the music sounds like. Of course the exceptions prove the rule, but in this case it is no surprise that FORBIDDEN TOMB are playing Black Metal in a very a raw and reduced form. DARKTHRONE albums like “Under A Funeral Moon” and “Transilvanian Hunger” obviously are, despite being about 30 years old, still a source of inspiration. By the way, that is exactly what constitutes brilliant albums, namely standing the test of time. But back to FORBIDDEN TOMB, hailing from Indonesia. Officially “The Prospector” is listed as a full-length album, which I find somewhat not amusing. The intro clicks at two minutes, the outro is one minute long. An album just over 20 minutes is a bit too short for my taste and wallet. And where we are now with the negative aspects, song titles like ‘Crypt I’ up to ‘Crypt V’ or simply ‘Unnamed’ let, in my opinion, miss a certain amount of dedication, even when I know it is a common approach for Black Metal bands. One aspect differs a bit from the typical Scandinavian second wave Black Metal. FORBIDDEN TOMB, unknown if one man project or band, are using extremely distorted vocals. It really makes me feel uncomfortable when listening with cranked up speakers. But I think that was done on purpose and makes this album standing out from the crowd of bland Black Metal bands. While I was writing this review I discovered FORBIDDEN TOMB already released a second album, called “Templum Impiorum” and four split releases and a demo compilation and I think it is definitely worth a listen for Black Metal fans.
Cold, harsh and raw Black Metal. A nightmarish journey for those looking to be internally disturbed through a primitive, chaotic wall of lo-fi sound. Includes an untitled bonus track.
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