Review Summary: mossy
There really isn’t much to say about Moss that hasn’t already been said; they deliver the goods. Last year’s
Sub Templum lowered the monolithic trio to even deeper levels, and solidified the band as one of the best sludge acts going around today. Rather than trying to progress their sound,
Tombs of the Blind Drugged simply restates Moss’ already successful formula of tormented shrieks over slow and devastating riffs. As an EP, concessions have been made; the typical overwhelming track lengths are somewhat absent, and with the slightly heightened accessibility of shorter tracks,
Tombs of the Blind Drugged is all the more inviting.
An important difference to note is that vocalist Olly Pearson makes more of an appearance on the EP compared to earlier Moss records; his vocal presence is far more abundant, and this simply furthers the demoralizing nature of his screams. However, with Pearson’s slight emphasis, it seems that there is less of an opportunity for the band to focus on vast and saturating riffs.
This is not to say that the ‘heavy’ element of Moss’ music is absent, just that there is something of a tamer feel to the EP in musical terms (although this may be a result of the fairly subdued production). A comparison with ‘Subterrean’ sums up my feelings in regards to the EP’s somewhat restrained face-crunching.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t really matter that
Tombs of the Blind Drugged sounds different to earlier releases, because it delivers over forty minutes of crushing sludge. The riffs on the first three tracks are simple yet effective, and the cover of early hardcore band Discharge drags out the punk classic to five times its original length, in true Moss style. The piercing guitar tone is utterly harrowing, and leaves the track as possibly the best thing on the EP.
Ultimately,
Tombs of the Blind Drugged lacks the complete saturation and continuity that their full lengths provide, but in its stead delivers a slightly more presentable packaging of its sound, their genre of extreme sludge doom notwithstanding.
