Band:	Forgotten Tomb
Album:	Love's Burial Ground
Style:	Black metal, Doom metal
Release date:	September 07, 2004
A review by:	Jeff

01. Malus Vivendi Pt. I (Intro)
02. Kill Life
03. Alone
04. House Of Nostalgia
05. Malus Vivendi Pt. II (Intermezzo)
06. Love's Burial Ground
07. Slave To Negativity
08. Forgotten Tomb MMIII
09. Malus Vivendi Pt. III

After the fantastic "Springtime Depression" this is the great come back, always through the French label Adipocere Records, of the Italian master of the depressive music, Forgotten Tomb. "Springtime Depression" was like a revelation for all the fans of extreme music, the anger that you can find in it was just impressive and it was certainly the darkness and the depressive side of this album which was the most striking.
But this time, the colour of this album is not the black, but most certainly the red, the red of the blood which flows of the veins, of the hear? In "Love's Burial Groung", you couldn't really find the same anger than in the precedents albums, that's the end of the numerous mind [and body?] scarifications, now this is only the sadness of Herr Morbid which is predominant?

"Love's Burial Groung", will be one of the magnificent album of the year without any doubts. I have the feeling that the band did a real change in the conception of its music, "Love's Burial Groung" is always really extreme yes, the voice of Herr Morbid is always really typical like on the others albums, but this time this is really more doomy. Of course the anger of the combo is always really present in all the lyrics but musically and even for the lyrics, that's easy to see that the maturity of the band is just growing. The last album was in my opinion maybe a bit too much turned on the Black Metal side, and really I prefer this one which is more turned toward Doom Metal. And that's a total success?
Musically the bass is a lot more present and that's same for the beautiful guitars arpeggios, [don't worry however the typical crunchy/noisy sound of the band is however always present]. This is just more melodic in my opinion but evidently in the case, more beautiful, more catchy. Now the music of Forgotten Tomb became this kind of sound which can give you shivers. Damn that's just impressive how this album is touching.
All the nine songs of the album are impressive, of course some of its are always a bit in the vein of the precedent albums, a bit brutal like "Love's Burial Ground" which definitely sound Black Metal in its beginning but even this song knows some slow break more than Doom in the style. Some others songs like "House Of Nostalgia" [I hope that you understand why I talk about sadness now?] are just beautiful with a lot of piano in the intro and a slow tempo with a very dark and oppressive melody which deserves to be compared to the best releases of the best Funeral Doom bands. Some other like the great "Alone", one of the best songs of the band if it's not the best believe me [and if it's not one of the best song ever?], are between this two songs, melodic, sad, dark but also powerful and touching, that's really impressive again. Now we can easily compare the music of the band to the best Doom bands and for example to the music of the first Katatonia's albums.
And what about the lyrics? Well it's always very well written, that's an habit with Herr Morbid and of course you could always find all that you want to find when you listen to Forgotten Tomb, something which can't be more depressive?
Nothing to say about the production on this album which is better than the last album. You certainly know that Forgotten Tomb is a "real" band now, with musicians for all the instruments [excepted for the bass for the recording sessions which was played by Herr Morbid himself and even if there is a bass player in the band now] and of course the quality of the music is only better, that's just logic. And for the artwork, the one of the cover is really good imo but you could even find in the back of the booklet the original uncensored artwork of the cover and you could chose which one you want for the cover of the album?

With "Love's Burial Groung" Herr Morbid and his band mates confirm that Forgotten Tomb is just only different. You will only find one or tow band like them by decades and it's the reason which does that they are only unique. "Love's Burial Groung" is a masterpiece, a must have for all the fans of Doom and extreme Metal, and through this album Forgotten tomb just prove us that they are definitely a cult band.
I give a 9 to this album, and only because of the negativity effect. But anyways you'll buy it, or you could regret it all your life, putrid youth?