You know what, Lana Del Rey? Me too. I got that summertime sadness. Do you know what the cure for that is? No, not therapy or medication. It’s black metal. Specifically, that depressive black metal that you really don’t get anywhere better than from the camp of Forgotten Tomb. After 25 years as a band and ten albums preceding Nightfloating, you’d think that they have all but exhausted the depths of depression and anxiety, but that is where you would be wrong, dear reader. Pain springs eternal, and so we continue forward with our faithful Italian comrades by our side.
Admittedly, over the course of maybe a decade or more, I’ve lost track of what Forgotten Tomb have been up to. The last album of theirs I checked out in earnest was 2011’s Under Saturn Retrograde, which was exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it. It is undeniable that Herr Morbid, originally the only member of Forgotten Tomb, played a vital role in developing the genre of DSMB (a moniker I am now a little loathe to use, so respectfully, this’ll be the last time I refer the their music as such). Songs to Leave and Springtime Depression practically single-handedly launched the genre all on their own nearly two decades ago, and things have pretty much been off and running from there. What I really appreciated about Under Saturn Retrograde, though, was the band’s willingness to move beyond second-wave worship and embrace melody, musicianship and clever songwriting over simple wailing and gnashing of teeth. Upon first listen to Nightfloating, I am more than delighted to see they haven’t backslid on that trend. Do you know with relative certainty what you’re getting in terms of sound and lyrics? Sure, and Forgotten Tomb will be the first to admit it. “It doesn’t get more Forgotten Tomb than this record, it sounds like you would expect, but at the same time it’s got a fresh approach to the subject matter,” says Morbid. These are not people you want reinventing themselves. I would argue they fall into the camp of “they do what they do well and I just want them to keep doing it”.
Still, the playing on this record is noticeably impressive, even if it doesn’t stray too far from the path they have consistently trod. Led by newcomers J. on lead guitar and Asher on drums and held down with long-timer Algol on bass and Morbid on everything else, the six tracks blaze through bleak and gloomy chord progressions and soaring atmospheric serenades with only a dungeon synth interlude to break the tension. The lead work in particular is astoundingly good; not overly technical but flashy and downright rocking when appropriate and with a lyricism to the melodies that is striking and memorable. The first three tracks are a masterclass in what can be done when somber moods are blended with delicate atmosphere and a healthy dose of melody to lift things and keep the songs interesting. The title track might be one of the better songs they’ve written in all their tenure, and the band fires on all cylinders all the way through “This Sickness Withered My Heart”. The back half of the album falls a little flat for me, as “Unsafe Spaces” (sigh…alright fellas) lacks the melodic depth of its neighbors, and the aforementioned dungeon synth interlude “Drifting” doesn’t really offer much except as a placeholder. But the epic ten-minute “A Despicable Gift” makes for a strong closer, bringing in a strong riff to start and a more overtly black metal homage to their early days, with a righteously blistering solo from J. to send the album to its close.
“We are proud of this new record, it’s been a lot of work and the fact that it’s gonna be released during the band’s 25th anniversary makes it even more special,” says the band of Nightfloating. It’s as solid as solid gets from a band who absolutely knows what they are about. If you are into really depressing songs that feature spicy guitar solos and a beautiful dichotomy of uplifting melody and crushing aggression, you probably should do what I did and stop sleeping on Forgotten Tomb.
-Ian
Nightfloating is out now on Agonia Records. For more information on Forgotten Tomb, visit their Facebook page.
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