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The Black Planet

STÖMB – Duality

Vasco Baptista 11/10/2017 Comments Off on STÖMB – Duality

Few bands can deliver a strong message and develop a story-line with just a few words. Or in Stömb’s case practically none. Specially in Metal, where the diversity of sonic landscapes is not so easily procured. Stömb does all that and still makes the sound breech to new found places, and without the aid of keyboards.
Stömb, nonetheless, practice an organic sound that hardly can be emulated. In fact, it has to be very natural from the musician’s standpoint, in order to make the listener travel. This band creates a musical landscape with a wide array of techniques, either with strong, heavy and profound riffs or electronic ambient, or with great slide guitar playing.

To put it briefly, Stömb brings out the best in the post-sludge, alternative metal scene, with strong progressive elements. The French quartet dominates ambiance sounds that traverse, almost like that an inner-outer journey, throughout the universe into yourself.

Even in transitions, the song structures and sections are carefully thought, with strong landscape lead guitars and powerful rhythm guitar work. These are aided by a master powerhouse composed by a heavy grooving bass and solid drum section. The majestic “The Dark Admirer” compiles all of the individual traits into a strong instrumental track, showcasing the best of each instrument, and a superb bring-it-all-together.

In this 3rd record, Stömb address the Carl Jung’s concept of duality and how to develop on the ambiguity of humanity. This philosophical approach surfaces in the introspective “The Other Me”. Perhaps this feature might seem odd to some, but it is not uncommon to those who venture in progressive lands. And it functions as a great catalyst to the great evolution that the band wants to create within the listener. And Stömb happens to do that very well.

To put it simple, this is one of the best instrumental alternative metal albums we’ve heard this year.

9/10

About Stömb:

Facebook / BandCamp

Review by Vasco Baptista
Managing Editor: Filipe Gomes

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