Forgotten Tomb have always been a rather unique band, with a characteristic habit of blending ancient Katatonic riffs with depressive black metal dirges and doomy crawls, their slow-burning songs gradually blossoming into melancholy cascades that are every bit worth the wait. Previous album ‘Negative Megalomania’ split the fans with its incorporation of Layne Stanley-esque wails and grungey rawk guitars alongside the usual tortured gloom and doom, but though like many I was initially perturbed by this change in direction, the mask of horror soon dropped from my face and I found myself enjoying this new ingredient to FT’s ever-dismal brew.
New album ‘Under Saturn Retrograde’ continues the trend, once again straddling pop sensibilities and mainstream rockiness alongside their traditional raw-and-miserable black/doom style in what is surely their most commercially ambitious release to date. Despite the polish however, the blissfully despondent kick that was always their charm is as evident as ever, making for that rarest of things- a commercial about-turn that doesn’t suck, also known as “the Tonight’s Decision”. Actually ‘about turn’ isn’t really the right phrase, as the elements that made the band great in the first place are all still there, the emphasis has just tilted a little from the abyssal to the accessible, that’s all.
Opener ‘Reject Existence’ is instantly familiar, bringing together spindly-and-decrepit overhanging riffs, stretched-and-tormented chords somewhere between Xasthur and Blut Aus Nord, and passages of doomy trudging and reflective, warmth-tinged meandering that sit alongside raw slabs of old-Shining-style dread. Fluid and brooding, this is all held together by an incredibly catchy and simple Paradise Lost-style groove, with some poppy gothic vocals thrown in alongside Herr Morbid’s usual distinct rasped growls. It’s instantly accessible and immediately them, but doesn’t bring anything not heard in the band’s pre ‘Negative...’ days.
‘Shutter’ is an entirely different beast however, starting with choppy, discordant chugging and grimy, plodding grooves before sinking into some seriously deep-fried stoner doom riffs and laid-back, fuzzed-out Sabbath-worship complete with soaring, clean vocals that momentarily had me wondering if a track by Monster Magnet or Electric Wizard had sneaked its way onto the cd by mistake.
There’s generally a much rockier, more up-tempo feel throughout than on previous albums, managing to be bleak and uplifting at the same time, as the title of ‘Downlift’ would suggest. Murky but bombastic and littered with signature depressive FT flourishes, this track is a mix of chunky, up-tempo riffing and hefty gothic grooves that still makes good use of the wandering, mesmeric repetition that has always been the band’s staple. Elsewhere a well-chosen, gloomed-up cover of the Stooges’ ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ complete with unrestrained, sleazy soloing adds further to the depressing-yet-upbeat feel.
One of the best things about hearing a new Forgotten Tomb album is waiting for one of the stark and stunning melancholy melodies that always lurk hidden somewhere within, and whilst there’s nothing on ‘Under Saturn Retrograde’ to match the miserable, slow-blooming majesty of ‘Love’s Burial Ground’s ‘Alone’ or the spectacular second-half of ‘Negative Megalomania’s ‘Blood And Concrete’, there are nevertheless some great moments to be found. A good example would be ‘Joyless’, which at starts off aping ‘One Second’ era Paradise Lost, complete with blatant Nick Holmes impression and underpinned by a mischievous black-and-roll maelstrom. Then suddenly a cracking riff that’s half FT, half old Rotting Christ bursts from nowhere and spills piercing shafts of light across the gloom, accompanied by some just-cheesy-enough-to-work grungey vocals thrown in amongst the misanthropic growls. The mainstream croons that follow are not exactly True but screw it- it’s fun and it works.
There’s more wing-stretching to be found on parts 1 and 2 of the title track, which shift unexpectedly from nose-to-the grindstone BM to a playful, almost cheerful meandering riff tinged with just a hint of sadness before things unexpectedly go all fluffy and prog in a manner akin to Opeth’s ‘Damnation’. This is both unexpected and incredibly well done, nicely complementing the yearning riffs and depressive plunges that build from it slowly before suddenly crashing down. ‘You Cant Kill Who’s Already Dead’ (sic) is similarly innovative, convincingly mixing mainstream gothic metal, cloying gothic doom and stripped-down ‘Brave Murder Day’-inspired melodies together with murky folk that recalls Opeth’s darker acoustic moments and the odd dirgey allusion to old Alice In Chains. Closer ‘Spectres Over Venice’ is yet another curious hybrid, lumbering along in a dread-heavy and leaden manner, flowing into bleak plateaus and sorrowful, unfurling melodies that are eventually swallowed up by an effortlessly smooth Type O bassline.
Like all Forgotten Tomb albums ‘Under Saturn Retrograde’ is a grower, and though it follows the same, rockier trajectory of its predecessor, the band’s unique identity consistently shines through. Staunch critics of Negative Megalomania will no doubt continue to balk, but for my money it makes an enjoyably downlifting listen.
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