2nd October 2023

Review: “Breath of the Tomb” by Left To Rot

Adorned by artwork from illustrator, graphic designer and musician Matt Stikker (Witch Vomit, Exhumed, Power Trip), known for his love of Heavy Metal culture, horror movies and the occult, Austin Texas based Death Metal trio Left To Rot have declared their sophomore EP “Breath Of The Tomb“ fit for human consumption. Inspired by the likes of Grave, Entombed and Death, guitarist and vocalist Jason Dahlke and drummer Justin Olejnik started the project before finding a willing victim to join them in bassist Aryan Nawim. In the cruel summer of 2021 the trio released a self titled four song demo with a bleak lyrical narrative before stand alone single “Requiem” rose from the black depths in April 2022. Now with the help of Nick Forkel of Turbid North fame who mixed and mastered, the trio delve deeper into the dark recesses of the human condition…

Olejnik brings synths to the Kings table to give a backbone to the classic hammer horror introduction piece, giving it the flavour of Italian Death Metal stalwarts Fulci in the process before the arteries are severed and the title track bleeds out with the blood and thunder of a classic American Muscle Car. A beastly endeavour, it makes great use of vocal layering to give the opportunity for Dahlke to add nuance while Nawim’s churning bassline acts like a second guitar during this Groove Death onslaught. Finding a lower register that reaches into the void of Slam, Dahlke gives “The Hidden One” more edge as he borders on demonically unhinged with an almost feral performance. A tasteful solo adds to the punch of the riffs and while it’s not quite as scorching as it could have been, there is enough intent there to get convicted. The gravitational pull of a black hole is the heavy weight equivalent of “Come To Me“, a track that finds the band in similar territory to Bloodshot as they shatter skulls and spine shank their enemies with the intensity of their offering. “Already Dead” brings this unholy selection of tracks to a bitter end with a Death Thrash monster. A head bang inducing main riff is accompanied by some solid blasting and bombastic bass as the trio go hell for leather in a fashion which Max Cavalera would appreciate, the delicate solo perfectly balanced and executed with laser guided precision. Resistance is futile [8.5/10]

Track Listing