TOMBS is an New York/New Jersey Black/Post Metal collective formed in 2007. To date, the band has released five full-length albums, and now a new EP, titled "Ex Oblivion," which contains five songs. The title track is the first cut. It begins with a heavy and aggressive edge, some thumping bass notes and a little ambiance. The overall mood is quite sullen, and the clean vocals are also depressive, seguing into harsh utterances close to the end. "Killed by Death" begins with some lead guitar work and a steady, lumbering pace. Thick bass notes and drums hold down the bottom end, while the chorus features despondent vocal harmonies with a little groove behind them.

"Commit Suicide" is a very short, two-minutes of chaos. Drums roll forward quickly, as the main riff supports some Punk influence, or an almost MOTORHEAD sound, but with harsh vocals. "Sombre Ruin" begins with tense drums, electronica and some ambient background elements. The bass guitar comes in low and rumbling, like a thunderstorm brewing on the horizon.  This song in particular is something off the beaten path when compare to the other songs. If you listen to this song several times, I'm pretty sure there are some subliminal messages within. "Murder Legendre" closes the EP. As the title suggests, it opens with the foreshadowing of your demise. Deep voices in the background taunt you, and suddenly you find yourself going into the kitchen and retrieving a large carving blade, unsure of what you are doing. Heading up the stairs, you get an attack of conscience, and put the blade down as the song fades out.

This was an interesting EP. The first three songs were much more traditional in the sense that it was linear music that followed conventional structures. The last two were more experimental, and not having heard of the band before this, I am unsure how it compares to previous releases. Of course, the final two tracks were exciting, because they are not in the conventional vane of music. If the band continues on this course, I am all in.