Silent Tombs- Mourning Hymns From Beyond

Silent Tombs is a death/doom band from Mexico, who formed in 2017. Their latest release, “Mourning Hymns From Beyond,” is their debut full-length album; they have also released a demo. 

Before I even dive into the album, there is something you must know: “Mourning Hymns From Beyond,” is a stunning debut album and as engrossing as anything I’ve heard this year. It’s dark and scary, disturbing in only a way death/doom can be. The primal, urgent energy that is often lacking in doom metal permeates every song.  

But it lives in two worlds, and the other one is a heart wrenching tapestry of melodies and melancholic tapestries. Atmospheric clean passages find their place among guitar melodies, themselves living amongst more carnal representations of the genre’s foundations.   

There is an oppressive sullen vibe that exists alongside the violent parts, the band and album effectively living in both worlds even while exceeding expectations for each of them.  

The opening song, “The Void Reflections Through The Looking Glass,” is a short intro that sets up the album. With its ominous tones and creepy ambient noises, which sound like they belong to some creatures of untold origins, it does a good job in preparing the listener for the disturbing journey that is to follow. 

“Fade Away Journey (Echoes From Nowhere),” picks up from where the intro left off but switches to clean instrumentation before settling into a steady groove of death growls, powerful riffs, and lead guitar that builds a surprising amount of momentum. As I said earlier, it is rare for doom to sound so imperative yet still keep the deep, melancholic nature of the genre’s roots. . Around the halfway point, the song transitions into another clean passage—I found these moments to be unique, showing a different side to the band yet making perfect sense in the overall song. They are also a bit trippy, so a little psychosis enters their doom and there is nothing wrong with that.

“Eternal Disillusion,” hits hard and fast with short, choppy riffs ripping up the atmosphere. While the bass and drums hammer this heaviness into the ground, the death growls follow long with a lead guitar line—snaking their way through this maze of torment. The tempo picks up a bit, the drums finding a sweet groove and pushes the song into new heights. That height is a slow, crushing, melodic passage of pure death/doom. It shines in its darkness, thriving in a place that no one should have to live in.  

I like the low rumble of the bass on “Frozen Tears,” and its sorrow filled atmosphere. The lead guitar is almost beautiful, in a sick and twisted way. The melodies and harmonies of this song make it feel a bit Gothic. But the thick riffs and growls keep it planted firmly on the death/doom side of the spectrum, even as the lead guitar plays a tale of woe. The final half of the song is brutal, riff riff after being complimented by the drums.

One of my favorite songs as the album is “The Crimson Sun.” I’m glad the album stays consistent with its high quality and this deep cut is a promise that it will never let up. This is straight up death/doom, hitting all the earmarks of the genre. It’s nasty and defeating for the first half then a wonderful clean passage arrives, bringing with it an ending that’s epic in its melodic tendencies. 

“Dissolve,” is the last full song (the album has a short outro) and it’s another banger. The rumbling of the drums is massive, earthquake inducing. The guitars, which are both melodic and blankets of darkness, shift as the song moves into a slow, doomy groove with impressively deep growls. This is the longest song on the album and the band finds their stride, hitting all the right notes at the right time.  

Silent Tombs’ “Mourning Hymns From Beyond,” is an album that sounds otherworldly yet will feel right at home for fans of death/doom. But it’s also expansive enough to please fans who prefer more atmospheric types of music. Highly recommended.

Rating: Excellent