Tome of the Unreplenished - Earthbound (2022)

When there are seemingly endless amounts of Atmospheric Black Metal bands that all sound the same, it is quite nice to hear outfits like Tome of the Unreplenished and their take on the genre. In “Earthbound”, this originally a project, now a full fledged band, delivers over 46 minutes of captivating music filled with eeriness and interesting ideas.

The opener “Tellurian” unleashes furious riffs and blast beats, more typical traditional Black Metal that slowly transforms into more melodic and atmospheric soundscapes. Particularly a certain epic/folky vibe thanks to the clean vocal arrangements. The band’s style is more of a mixture of Saor and Windfaerer, as tracks like “Unbound” and “Tryst at the Gales of Cyprus” brilliantly mix atmosphere and melody.

The band’s use of clean choral arrangements in tracks like “Towards the Self” gives them a certain versatility that most bands in the genre lack. Additionally, the intricate guitar/bass guitar/drum work on the epic “Astraios Ayr”, creates a very dynamic and engaging pace that makes them quickly standout.

Closing with the ritualistic and hypnotic “Portcullis to Dodekatheon”, we are left quite impressed with Tome of the Unreplenished and their latest release. It’s been seven years since the bands last full-length release and with “Earthbound” they managed to craft something very unique and engaging that requires more than a few spins to fully digest.

Label: Avantgarde Music

Release: February 5th, 2022

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Country: Cyprus