Review: Street Tombs ‘Existence Is Corruption’
The inexorable march of New Mexico’s Street Tombs upon the death metal underground has been relentless, with their 2023 debut Reclusive Decay doing some interesting things, combining classic death metal groove with rabid underground punk and hardcore.
They’ve been killing it on tour for years at this point and are now ready to give us the follow-up, Existence Is Corruption, which is out now through Carbonized Records.
Galloping opener Pestilent Storm strikes me as an absolute pit wrecker, chugging riffs and a gurgling snarl bringing to mind old Autopsy as well as the guitar tone of pre-1990 Sepultura. You don’t often expect albums like this to provide many air-guitaring moments – just listen to that opening riff of Deceptor, oh baby – as you’re more likely concentrating on the speed and the groove, but Street Tombs are no one-trick pony.
You can hear ancient Celtic Frost moments on Braindead, a Bolt Thrower-esque bulldozer riff is the power behind the stellar Upset The Grave, and the likes of Parasitic Feast and Mental Mutilation have got as much Bathory as they do modern death metal stars – and one-time tourmates) like Necrot. There’s even a touch of blackened death/doom at the end of Systematic Suffering that has a really interesting potential.
as old-school as they come, but with a modern ferocity and execution…
I think this is how their sound can feel fresh and yet old-fashioned; the style they’ve gone for has such a timeless quality that it’ll appeal to old and new heads alike. I mean, how can any of us stand still during the likes of Septic Values without a guttural, primal desire to bang our fucking heads? Add to that an incredible album cover that really captures their disgust with the corruption and decay of modern society, and how it is poisoning us all with greed and hate, and you’ve got a complete package of underground rage, bubbling to the surface.
Raging past in barely less than forty minutes, this is a record that feels half that length given the ferocity and speed with which it careens past. Street Tombs have got this remarkably gritty guitar sound, driving straight in between Dismember and Discharge to provide an incisive and vicious album full of cracking songs. I can see why they are so feared as a live act, if the sound on this record is anything to go by. Existence Is Corruption feels as old-school as they come, but with a modern ferocity and execution that highlights their drive and talent. A cracker.
Label: Carbonized Records
Band Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Sandy Williamson
