Sound the alarms, we have another one-man band wreaking havoc in the underground! Marrowomb is a new project via multi-instrumentalist Frank Lato. Lato hails from Chicago and has been a part of the metal scene for over ten years. Lato’s experience really shines through on his first offering via Marrowomb, which is also his first ever solo project as well. You’re not going to get some amateur hour here. This album is 45 minutes of blistering blackened death metal that attacks from every angle.
Opening track “Phantasia Kataleptike” starts with a sample and then all hell breaks loose. Lato breaks the silence with a bellowing roar, with the drums blasting away and vile, blackened riffs fly off the fretboard. While listening to the album for the first time, I was curious if Lato was doing every instrument for the album. Looking at the promo notes, I noticed that the drumming was done by Kevin Paradis, formerly of Benighted. This was the perfect pick for the style of music Marrowomb is going for. His style of drumming perfectly compliments the riffs that Lato conjures up.
Track “Inner Ring” sees the duo bring the tempo down a bit from the first three tracks of the album. The track trades the fast pace for a slow burner full of brooding and sinister atmosphere. The change of pace was welcomed from the riff inferno that Lato cooked up in the first half of the album. Lato throws some technical bits in as well with some pinging bass lines in the second half of the track. He also adds some synth work into the back half of the track to help aid in the overall eerie atmosphere. This track gave me big Vredehammer vibes.
“Black Gossamer” is an infectious track to open the second half of the album, with a groovy main riff that kept getting stuck in my head every time I listened to the album. It definitely was a standout track for me.
Tracks “Veil of Cold” and “The Mirror” continue the blackened death assault on the listener before the final track approaches. “Despairloom” is the longest and most ambitious track of the album, clocking in at nearly twelve minutes. The first few minutes are instrumental, with Lato showing off his chops on the guitar before launching back into the blackened death sound. The song bounces between fast, angular riffs and groovy, technical riffing to keep the listener guessing and what Lato is going to throw their way. Lato then slows down the tempo in the last few minutes, bringing back the brooding atmosphere as he vomits the lyrics from the deepest pits of his body. His vocal performance throughout the whole album is sublime. The song slowly fades out, dragging this sonic adventure back into the shadows from where it came from. An epic closer to the album.
I was super stoked to have this promo come through from Clawhammer. I was hooked on the first listen and hope that Frank keeps cooking up more delicious blackened death for the masses to consume. If you enjoy bands like the aforementioned Vredehammer, pre-Satanist era Behemoth and Vlitmas, this is an album that you will definitely enjoy!
