From the Devil's Tomb

Review originally published at http://www.teethofthedivine.com by Erik Thomas

Here’s a release I saw on numerous ’2010 year end’-lists, but I never got around to listen to it in a timely fashion myself and thus, I couldn’t determine if it should be a best of 2010 ‘best of’ contender. But with a 2011 US release date via The Anja Offensive, I can now use the ol’ release date loophole and possibly stick From the Devil’s Tomb on my 2011 year end list without feeling bad. The album certainly deserves to be considered for such a nomination.


Improved on every facet (including the production) from a debut that I was rather lukewarm on, From the Devil’s Tomb, is the same hues of ritualistic black/thrash metal akin to Celtic Frost and Absu mixed with some Greek esoterica, played with Watain’s conviction and sneaky melodies. However, everything has an arcane savagery and mysterious occult sheen, which when paired with much better and memorable riffs make for an intoxicatedly surreal, yet menacing album.


It’s obvious from opening title track main man Vetis Monarch has sharpened all aspects of Weapon‘s sound. The guitars have more bite, and while riff are steeped in a nasty black thrash essence, they tangibly lean much further into death metal structures, as does Vetis’s vocals. The occult/ ritualistic elements seem much more natural, organic and harrowing than the debut and the end result is a swirling metallic churning beast that comes across as the unholy alliance of Deathspell Omega and Incantation (“Trishul” and standouts “The Inner Wolf” and otherwise seething “Sardonyx” being particularly effective). The artwork sums the sound up perfectly.


As with the debut and most music of this nature, From the Devil’s Tomb isn’t about single songs or moments but rather a single 54-minute, nerve wracking entity. That being said, striking instrumental “Lefthandpathyoga” breaks up the furor of the album with some surprising moments of melody and introspection. Surrounding those two tracks though are plenty of atonal vortexes such as the aptly named duo of “Furor Divinus” and “Vortex 11744” which all rumble and spew with a artistic vehemence, like a demonic spirit being violently exorcised from a innocent childish human shell.


With “Towards the Uncreation” closing the album in perfect style, I think Weapon has entered the cusp of elitism for this new millennia of genre defying metal. And it only took them two releases to do it!