FORGOTTEN TOMB – Under Saturn Retrograde

Italian four-piece Forgotten Tomb specialize in ‘blackened doom metal’, their interpretation of which sounds a little like a cross between Type O Negative and Katatonia, but with (mostly) BM vocals. The production is classy, with heavy, fuzzy guitars and a rich, warm sound. The songs rock because the emphasis has been put on crafting catchy riffs and melodic hooks, rather than drowning the listener in a doom-laden atmosphere. Having said that, there are wandering parts where the band explores moods and these are as effective as the more direct tunes.

Overall, this served for me as an introduction to a likable act whose back catalogue I will definitely be checking out.

www.myspace.com/darknessinster
www.agoniarecords.com