Album Review: Tumanduumband – Throne Of Grief
Reviewed by Tim Finch
Tumanduumband – “two man doom band” – are band that do exactly what they promise, crush you with unimaginably heavy music, whether it be a full album or a live show, you are going to get crushed.
The band have seen a steady rise to prominence over recent years, following a triumphant Metal 2 The Masses campaign that saw them play the legendary Bloodstock Festival they have ensured the momentum keeps pushing them forwards. High profile support slots have followed, including the likes of Crowbar and now in 2023 they release their debut full length recording via Cursed Monk Records.
Bassist Scott Copper and drummer Luke Orchid team up to destroy you with a sonic battering like many have never before experienced. They also make good use of samples, using them to introduce the story about to unfold and also to enhance the overall experience.
The album opens with one such sample to kick off ‘Crushed Beneath Unfathomable Misery’, before the rumbled bass comes in. Title track ‘Throne of Grief’ then picks up with its reverberating, fuzzy bass destroying the listeners eardrums and Orchid’s drums providing the tunes heartbeat throughout.
It’s hard to liken the band to anything that has come before, Conan would be the nearest comparison in terms of sheer weight of music, however they utilise a guitar for added depth. Tumanduumband’s dual bass/drum attack gives their sound a more raw feel, those jagged, fuzzy bass notes ring out long after the track ends. It's not the soft relaxing tones of a Michael Bublé record, but neither is it an uncomfortable experience. In the ears of the right listener Tumanduumband create a score of dynamic brutality, whilst it is very heavy, they juxtapose this against themings and song writing that allow the listener to get lost within it all.
This is not a band that will sell albums by the hundreds of thousands. However if you are of the inclination that you prefer your eardrums pinned down under a weight of heavy music, then this is most definitely for you. Think Conan crossed with Moss and you won’t be far off.
