From the fertile musical soil of Denver, Colorado, GLACIAL TOMB returns with its second full length.

Annoying keys and overblown effects lead us into the ‘Stygian Abattoir’, and oh, man, are these guys trying to sound like early Gothenburg here, at least in the music. The vocals haven’t changed much since the self-titled 2018 debut, nondescript as ever. I’m sure some may thrive on the frequent shifts from second-tier death metal growl to blackish bark, but to me, there’s nothing appealing.

The trio seems to feel they’re a blend of sludge, black and death metals, but the tired-ass bridge in ‘Voidwomb’ isn’t within a few miles of sludge as I have come to know it, and the solos layered over the latter 1/3 of the song exude zero passion, seeming tossed in as an afterthought. ‘Enshrined In Concrete’ fails to impress as well, and, as we’re now into song #3 and I can’t say I’ve held onto :05 of anything that’s come before, all signs point to this yawnfest continuing. Again, the bridge drops us down into what might at a long stretch pass for doom, another lightweight solo flitting over the rhythm.

After napping through ‘Abyssal Host’, ‘Sanctuary’ (or is it ‘Stygian Abattoir’? I can’t tell anymore.) GLACIAL TOMB gives us even more not to remember, and the pattern remains firm…blast at first, move into something approximating a chorus, slow things down about midway through, then back to a solo over the final section, where things circle back to the start. While ‘Worldsflesh’ does mix up the formula at the very beginning, by :30 here we are again, the only saving grace that the threesome genuinely seems to be attempting actual songcraft here. But we’ve heard it all before and better, plain and simple.

A solid ‘Wound Of Existence’ leads us into the closing title track much too late in the proceedings to make any sort of difference. Barely black metal, and not whatsoever sludge, Lifeless…err…Lightless Expanse is a perfect example of the sheer glut of death metal that’s crept up on us over the past few years. What’s most depressing of all is that two of these guys, also members of KHEMMIS, know better.
Review By: Lord Randall

GLACIAL TOMB
Lightless Expanse
Prosthetic Records