Savage Gold
| Savage Gold | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Album cover artwork by Thomas Hooper | ||||
| Studio album by Tombs | ||||
| Released | June 10, 2014 | |||
| Recorded |
November 2013 - January 2014 Mana Recording Studios St. Petersburg, FL | |||
| Genre | Experimental metal, post-metal, black metal | |||
| Length | 57:12 | |||
| Label | Relapse Records | |||
| Producer | Erik Rutan | |||
| Tombs chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 76/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| About.com |   [2] |
| Exclaim! | 8[3] |
| Metalsucks | [4] |
| Pitchfork | 8.3[5] |
| Punknews.org | [6] |
| Revolver | 4/5[7] |
| Spin | 8[8] |
Savage Gold is the third studio album from American experimental metal band Tombs. It marks the groups first record to feature contributions from guitarist Garett Bussanick and bassist Ben Brand, as well as the first record to be produced by Erik Rutan.[9]
Writing and composition
Material for the record was written by principal songwriters Mike Hill and Andrew Hernandez II over the span of three years following the release of Path of Totality.[10] Hill has characterized the material as "darker and more extreme" than Path of Totality.[9] Hill also stated that the instrumental interactions for the record are "straightforward and a little dryer" compared to previous releases, with the intention of increasing the impact of the lyrics and music.[10]
Recording
Recording was completed by producer Erik Rutan at Mana Recording Studios.[9] Hill described the recording process as "grueling", but effective in reaching the intended result.[10] Rutan was said to be primarily focused on the technical aspects of recording while the band focused entirely on the creative aspects of the music.[10]
Release and promotion
The album will be released on June 10, 2014 through Relapse Records in CD, 2XLP, deluxe 2XLP, and digital download formats.[11] The track "Edge of Darkness" was made available for streaming on April 22, 2014 and was subsequently given the "Best New Track" distinction by Pitchfork writer Grayson Currin.[12] On May 5, 2014, the track "Deathtripper" was made available for streaming via The A.V. Club.[13]
Reception
Thus far, the album has been unanimously praised by music critics. The aggregate review site Metacritic assigned an average score of 85 out of 100 to the album based on 4 reviews, indicating "Universal Acclaim".[1]
In a positive review, Dave Schalek of About.com named Savage Gold "their heaviest album to date."[2] Commenting on the album's production, Pitchfork reviewer Grayson Haver Currin characterized the album's sound as a "...cohesive, propulsive, and definitive statement."[5] Similarly, Jelone of Punknews.org described the album as "pristine" and "decimating", concluding "It is, simply, the best Tombs record so far."[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Thanatos" | 4:25 |
| 2. | "Portraits" | 6:50 |
| 3. | "Seance" | 5:29 |
| 4. | "Echoes" | 7:56 |
| 5. | "Deathtripper" | 6:44 |
| 6. | "Edge of Darkness" | 5:28 |
| 7. | "Ashes" | 5:03 |
| 8. | "Legacy" | 4:18 |
| 9. | "Severed Lives" | 4:42 |
| 10. | "Spiral" | 6:17 |
Total length: |
57:12 | |
Personnel
Savage Gold album credits adapted from Allmusic.[14]
Tombs
- Mike Hill - guitar, electronics, vocals
- Andrew Hernandez II - drums
- Garett Bussanick - guitar
- Ben Brand - bass, electronics
Additional personnel
- Sera Timms - guitar, vocals
- J. Bennett - guitar, vocals
- Erik Rutan - production, mixing
- Bryan - assistant engineer
- Alan Douches - mastering
- Thomas Hooper - album artwork
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Top Heatseekers | 14[15] |
References
- 1 2 "Critic Reviews for Savage Gold". Metacritic. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
- 1 2 Dave Schalek (June 10, 2014). "Tombs - Savage Gold Review". About.com. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
- ↑ Natalie Zina Walschots (June 10, 2014). "Tombs - Savage Gold". Exclaim!. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
- ↑ Kip Wingerschmidt (June 6, 2014). "Tombs Fuse Black & Post Metal To Effective Results On New Album Savage Gold". Metalsucks. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
- 1 2 Grayson Haver Currin (June 9, 2014). "Tombs: Savage Gold". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
- 1 2 Jelone (June 9, 2014). "Tombs - Savage Gold". Punknews.org. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
- ↑ Jon Wiederhorn (June 5, 2014). "Review: Tombs — Savage Gold". Revolver. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
- ↑ Kim Kelly (June 9, 2014). "Death Becomes Tombs on 'Savage Gold,' A Lean Grind of Dark Metal". Spin. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
- 1 2 3 "TOMBS Begins Recording New Album". Blabbermouth.net. November 12, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 Brandon Stosuy (April 24, 2014). "Show No Mercy: Tombs". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ↑ "TOMBS To Release 'Savage Gold' In June". Blabbermouth.net. March 27, 2014. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
- ↑ Grayson Currin (April 22, 2014). "Tombs: "Edge of Darkness"". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
- ↑ Jason Heller (May 5, 2014). "Tombs shovel tons of gloom over "Deathtripper"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
- ↑ "Savage Gold - Tombs Songs, Credits, Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
- ↑ "Savage Gold". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2014.