Review: Tómarúm - Ash In Realms Of Stone Icons (2022)
Tómarúm is a progressive black/death metal band that formed in 2017 at Atlanta, Georgia. The band just release their debut album is called Ash In Realms Of Stone Icons on May 6th, 2022 via Prosthetic Records.
Instrospection I opens the album with its calm and epic strains of acoustic guitar, which evokes a cold and chill atmosphere, then transitions into a straightforward and passionate composition towards a heavier realms that connects us with Condemned To A Life Of Grief, a beautiful and majestic track that pours all its fury and emotion into a series of epic and chill guitar riffs, along with elegant bass performances, incredibly solid drums and depressive vocals. This song evokes anxiety and solicitudes behind the beauty of the music that stretches like a vast expanse of land, then an astonishing long guitar solo appears at the end of the song that provide an exciting climax, before In This Empty Space accompanies us with an unsettling sound palletes, they force us to make peace with the feelings of anxiety and restlessness that continue to creep into the bottom line of our emotions. The musical performances are truly mesmerizing, they are able to weave the beauty, complexity, and cruelty of their notes with highly hypnotic rhythms and challenging plots. In addition to its enchanting and invigorating guitar work, we are also presented with an incredible fretless bass performance that will continue to connect with one another to build a very solid musical structure, then Instrospection II lull us with calm and gentleness through a performance of epic acoustic guitar and melancholic piano that go hand in hand to form a heart-melting sonority, before Where No Warmth is Found boasts a beauty that builds from its sensational guitar work, inovative bass lines, energetic drums and varied vocals. The song progresses with its enchanting melody that shrouded in a heartbreaking atmosphere and a powerful progressive touch, while its snaking guitar solos hypnotizes us with its mesmerizing melodic depth and fantastical technical elements, then moving forward with all the beauty and serenity that take us to As Black Forms From Grey, a track that opens with a bass guitar that giving a bleak introduction, then we're burned by a blazing guitar roar with a slashing melody and some dark folk elements like a tornado that will blow anything in its path with unnatural force. While when the vocals enter we are like being invited to surround nature filled with warmth that is conjured with an extraordinary luxury, where we will continue to be amazed to see such an elegant performance with several layers of intricate parts, then without warning, they torture us with Awake Into Eternal Slumber, a fifteen minute track that has epic power in its majestic musical structure that will close this album. We are brought to enjoy a beautiful view of the symphony that shrouded with rage and fury which bubbling with evil instincts, then blasted with aggressiveness that emanates from its gruesome guitar work along with stunning bass performances to incredible percussion sections, while its vocals ooze an unstoppable emotion and followed by piercing guitar solos that revealing an intoxicating complexities. Then this track slowly guides us into a painful atmosphere, with clean, depressive vocals that will accompany us to the end of this surreal journey.
Ash In Realms Of Stone Icons is a fantastic and glorious masterpiece, they delivers a perfect fusion of atmospheric black metal, progressive metal, technical death metal, and some folk elements and pathetic melodies. Its songs convey anxiety, worry, and sadness that woven from a series of epic, complex and beautiful guitar pieces along with excellent bass performances, melancholic piano, energetic drums and depressive vocals, also we will spoiled by a bunch of guitar solos that are dazzling, astonishing, invigorating, and intoxicating. The songwriting is brilliant which is supported by the incredible craftmanship of each member. This an album that takes listeners on a surreal journey with a horific emotion depths that filled with overflowing rage and wrath. What an amazing album that make me immersed in the strains of its tunes.