Tombs – Under Sullen Skies – Limited Gold Double Vinyl Record

Description

Tombs – Under Sullen Skies – Limited Gold Double Vinyl Record

Under Sullen Skies is a broad, severe statement from Tombs, the New York band led by guitarist and vocalist Mike Hill. Released in 2020, the album brings black metal, doom, post-metal and gothic rock into a sound that is heavy without becoming uniform. The guitars can move from abrasive velocity to sustained, oppressive chords; the rhythm section alternates between forward attack and a slower physical weight. Hill’s voice provides a consistent center, but the arrangements keep changing around it. Across twelve tracks, Tombs builds an atmosphere of conflict, exhaustion and looming threat without relying on one repeated method.

“Bone Furnace” opens with immediate force, introducing the album’s combination of blackened speed and dense low-end pressure. “Void Constellation” widens the scale, while “Barren” and “The Hunger” emphasize the band’s ability to make slower passages feel no less intense. These pieces are carefully shaped rather than merely piled with distortion. Riffs return in altered contexts, percussion marks the transitions, and the vocals function as another texture inside the arrangement. The first side therefore establishes both the album’s aggression and its range, preparing the listener for the more elaborate turns that follow.

“Secrets of the Black Sun” is one of the record’s longest performances and an effective example of its patient construction. “Descensum” follows with a different kind of momentum before the brief instrumental atmosphere of “We Move Like Phantoms” leads into “Mordum.” The sequence highlights Tombs’ interest in contrast: a compact transition can make the next heavy passage feel larger, while moments of space sharpen the impact of the denser sections. Gothic and post-punk shadows sit beside extreme-metal technique, giving the album a cold, urban character distinct from more traditional approaches to black or doom metal.

The final group of songs continues to expand that palette. “Lex Talionis,” “Angel of Darkness,” “Sombre Ruin” and the nearly seven-minute “Plague Years” bring the album toward an appropriately unsettled conclusion. A substantial group of guests contributes across the record, including Dwid Hellion, Ray Suhy, Paul Delaney, Todd Stern, Andy Thomas, Sera Timms and Cat Cabral. Their presence adds new voices and instrumental colors without turning the album into a disconnected showcase. The collaborations support Hill’s central vision, intensifying the sense that Under Sullen Skies is examining turmoil from several angles at once.

Season of Mist issued this version as a limited edition of 250 copies worldwide. The twelve songs occupy the first three sides of two gold 33 rpm records, while the fourth side carries etched artwork rather than audio. A deluxe gatefold jacket with gold print completes the presentation. The format suits an album whose visual and musical atmosphere is so deliberate, and the three-sided configuration avoids crowding its lengthy program. Under Sullen Skies is a demanding but varied Tombs release, and this edition gives it a physical design that reflects the record’s scale, darkness and attention to detail.

Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic

Track Listing

Side A
Bone Furnace
Void Constellation
Barren
The Hunger

Side B
Secrets of the Black Sun
Descensum
We Move Like Phantoms
Mordum

Side C
Lex Talionis
Angel of Darkness
Sombre Ruin
Plague Years

Side D
Etched artwork – no audio