Interview with Luigi & Luca of Tombal

Tombal is an Italian old-school death metal band with Swedish death metal style characterized by a consistent HM-2 chainsaw-driven guitar tone (Heavily inspired by the HM-2's fierce and sharpness) Tombal is more reminiscent to the Swedish style for some fans Tombal is the Italian Dismemeber or Bloodbath

 Released on June 12, 2026, "Grave of the Damned" is the debut EP that carves the way for a relentless aggression and ferocity forged in death, rot and decay, The EP was released by Blood Harvest Records, while Unholy Domains handles the cassette edition.

1-First of all, thank you for taking part in this interview and congratulation for your new EP Grave of the Damned, I just wanted to ask a bit about the origins of the band (introduce Tombal to the readers), since 2025. How was the songwriting process divided across the course of all these years, was it spread out or product of a very short time frame when time allowed it?

Luigi: Hi! First of all, thank you very much for inviting us to this interview. Tombal was born in August 2025 from an idea I had been carrying with me for a long time: to form a pure old-school Swedish death metal band, as I've always been passionate about that sound, especially the HM-2 tone. So I contacted Luca, an incredibly talented drummer, and Massimiliano on bass to form the band. After letting them hear what I had in mind, they both accepted immediately, and that's how Tombal was born. I wrote our first single, Grave of the Damned, which was released shortly afterwards on YouTube. After that, I composed all the remaining songs for the EP. Luca recorded the drums in Basilicata, while Massimiliano and I completed the rest of the recordings here in Sardinia. All of this happened in roughly six months. In the meantime, I also contacted Mario, our second guitarist, and he joined Tombal without hesitation. We're already working on our first full-length album and we'll be back in the studio very soon.

2-What can you tell us about your line up, and will you introduce other members?

Luca: Tombal consists of Luigi Cara on guitar and vocals, Massimiliano Falchi on bass, Mario Tamponi on guitar, and myself, Luca Barone, on drums. No, we have no plans to add any new members, as the band is now complete. Besides being musicians united by our passion for extreme metal, we're also a close group of friends.

3- What do you think of the worldwide metal and extreme scene today, are you against modern metal styles who invaded the old school metal scene? 

Luigi: To be honest, we always prefer the old-school approach, not only in death metal but in heavy metal in general, because we believe it's the truest and most natural sound you can hear, not only in terms of production but also in attitude and the way the music is played. At the same time, I also listen to newer bands, not really modern metal, but modern death metal, and there are so many bands absolutely crushing it, especially here in Italy

4- What’s your mainly inspiration to compose and How do you write your music? Is there a set guideline or do you write what you feel as you go along?

Luca: Every member of the band brings their own influences, of course. We're definitely inspired by bands like Dismember, Interment, Grave and Entombed. However, that's never a limitation for us as we don't copy anyone and we don't follow any strict guideline. We always try to follow our own natural path, both in songwriting and in finding the sound we want to achieve

5- You released a single Grave of the Damned on the 22nd of January, 2026 from your new E.P Grave of the Damned via Blood Harvest Records so can you tell us about the inspiration behind the album concept and influences?

Luigi: As I said before, the Italian scene is in great shape. It's full of death metal bands that absolutely crush, including bands that have become really successful, like Fulci. But even the darker, more underground side of death metal is full of incredibly strong bands. The same goes for Sardinia: there are many great bands here, especially black metal bands, including some that are deeply connected to Sardinian traditions. There aren't as many death metal bands, but the ones we do have are all excellent.

Luca: Everything started with the release of our self-titled single. From the very beginning, we wanted to write direct, uncompromising songs with a strong impact, creating a violent yet natural, slightly raw sound that allowed us to achieve exactly what we were looking for. From that single, we built the rest of the EP by following the same natural direction and keeping the same intensity we wanted to express. Although it's not a concept release, the lyrics are connected by a common thread revolving around death, destruction, rot and decay. As I mentioned before, our influences remain the same, but they never limit our songwriting. We simply follow what feels most natural to us.

6-Are you satisfy with your label and witch label fit to your music?

Luigi: Yes, we're very satisfied with the work both Blood Harvest and Unholy Domain have done. Everything has been going really well with our labels so far, and we're already working on the full-length, even though several other labels have also contacted us showing a strong interest in Tombal. 

7-What about themes in the lyrics?

Luca: As I mentioned before, the main themes we deal with are death, decay and rot. They perfectly reflect the concept behind the name Tombal.

8- About the album artwork, did you do the cover for " Grave of the Damned " yourself ?

Luigi: The artwork was created by Valeria Foddanu, a very talented tattoo artist from Sardinia. She perfectly captured everything we had in mind and brought it to life flawlessly.

9-How would you describe your style of music?

Luca: It's definitely old-school death metal, Swedish death metal forged through aggression, violence and a completely uncompromising approach, combined with a raw and powerful sound.

10- What are some of your non-musical influences?

Luigi: Outside of music, my biggest influence comes from old-school horror movies. I also draw inspiration from them when writing some of the lyrics.

11-Did you send your record to some promo and webzines?

Luca: Yes. For the most part, our label handled the promotion through magazines and zines.

12-Any fav bands to get on stage with? ,any future gigs or fest  ?

Luigi: We'd love to share the stage with bands that have a great attitude and, above all, with good people we can spend great moments with. We already have confirmed shows and festival appearances, and we're currently working on a European tour that will support the release of our first full-length album alongside a great Italian death metal band.

13-Do you have any references or influences from horror/ gore, slasher movies, or Italian *Giallo*? I’m a huge fan……Italy really excels at this kind of cinema, like the movies of Fulci?

Luca: As Luigi mentioned earlier, films, especially horror films, are a major source of inspiration for our lyrics. To name a few, we love The Exorcist (the original one), Evil Dead, and Splatters-Gli Schizzacervelli. 

14- Do you already have things in the plans after the release of Grave of the Damned any album? Touring? or Split Ep's in the horizon?

Luigi: Yes, Luca is about to enter the studio to record the drum tracks, and I think by October the album will already be ready for pressing. Right after that, we'll begin a strong promotional campaign with live shows, tours and festivals, all managed by our booking agency, Occult Booking. We're really in great shape at the moment.

15- What is the biggest change compared to the debut before before releasing your first EP?

Luca: Compared to our debut EP, the full-length definitely features more structured songs. We've introduced more tempo changes that we enjoy experimenting with, and in a couple of tracks we've incorporated the classic Swedish d-beat. However, the impact and aggression will continue exactly where Grave of the Damned left off.

16- To conclude, if you have any closing thoughts you want to say about the record the next of Tombal, band or old school death metal at large

Luigi: I'd like to thank you for the interview, and all our fans and friends for the incredible support they've shown us from the very beginning. We can't wait to play live and for you to hear what we have in store with the release of our first full-length album.

Death Metal Is Alive!

 

Acolythus - Unearthly Kingdoms 'Neath Lifeless Stars (2026)

Label: Inverse Records

Track list:

1. Among Ruins Forlorn

2. Scholars of Empires Beyond

3. As the Slaughtered Wizards Reincarnate

4. Frozen Desolate Warfields

5. Vacuous Gods of the Abyss

6. Unearthly Kingdoms 'Neath Lifeless Stars

7. In the Fading Light of Burning Cathedrals

Acolythus' debut album Unearthly Kingdoms 'Neath Lifeless Stars (released May 8 via Inverse Records) is a raw, analog-focused slice of Finnish old-school melodic black metal., the record delivers 32 minutes of aggressive, atonal tremolo riffs and mystical worldbuilding,,  Acolythus was born from the desire of seasoned musicians to create an outlet for their purely black metal aspirations, apparently that was entirely composed produced and recorded in record time just one month !!! (February 2026) and ….. the result is truly impressive for your information Acolythus album’s production involves no studio trickery, no digital track editing no cheating, everything heard comes from real instruments played by the line-up, capturing the raw aggression of each take.

The final result delivers a chilling sound typical of the 90s, yet with an organic clarity that allows the music to breathe and there is no clinical production like modern bands

Acolythus prove that when you are committed to the task and have mastered what you are doing, the work will be approved and validated

 And here we confirm that everything modern is substandard, just sophisticated exactly as Jeff Walker stated Carcass frontman Jeff Walker famously characterized modern extreme metal as "substandard". Around the time of his band's comeback, he expressed his belief that the quality of death and extreme metal had declined since the mid-90s and unfortunately, that is the sad truth

Angrmáni's work is built upon quintessentially Finnish tremolo-picked riffs which contrast with the violence of the singing

Maleficarum delivers an intense performance driven by blast beats and martial rhythms blast beats are constant, brings a very good dynamism to the drumming, alternating between crushing grooves and ferocious bursts of speed and drumming sound is natural no gating or sound replacement with samples

The overall reception within the underground community is extremely positive, particularly on specialized platforms and social media also the album cover matches the vibe, too and very fit with the album's content with post-apocalyptic land scape …. forgotten kingdoms beneath dead and dark stars with presence and feeling of icy loneliness detectable in the lyrics and all this in black and white in keeping with the rules of the true old-school black metal

The album feels like it was released in debut 90’s , but with technical proficiency and musicality far superior to the demos of that era.

Tracks to pay attention Scholars of Empires Beyond, Vacuous Gods of the Abyss and In the Fading Light of Burning Cathedrals in any case don’t waste your time go listen and share or add Unearthly Kingdoms 'Neath Lifeless Stars in your collection

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Numen - Erre (2026)

 

Label:Les Acteurs de l'Ombre Productions

Tracklist :

1.Kez beteriko zeru penatua

2.Negu itxian Urtarril hotza

3.Errautsen azken arnasa

4.Hustasuna – Oroitzapen galduen putzua

5.Euria infernuko sutan

Released on June 12, 2026, via Les Acteurs de l'Ombre Productions, Erre is the fifth album from Numen, a band formed in the Basque Country in 1997. It delivers brutal, old-school black metal infused with the traditional folk influences so dear to their homeland. According to the band's biography, the lyrics are entirely in Basque, focusing on ancient traditions, legends, and mythology,all while maintaining a fierce hostility toward Christianity.

Erre conjures the atmosphere of a medieval inferno, driven by a raw, icy production style inspired by 90s Nordic black metal; fans of Setherial, Dark Funeral, or Tsjuder, Blackmass, Triumphator will find plenty to appreciate here.

A first listen reveals a record that is more direct, aggressive, and ritualistic than their previous work,characterized by a chaotic sound, lightning-fast blast beats, and visceral shrieks,and it catches the listener off guard right from the opening track, eschewing any preamble or intro.

It abandons traditional misty landscapes to plunge the listener straight into the terror of the XVII th-century Inquisition.

According to my research he title Erre meaning "to burn",sets the stage for an album defined by constant tension linked to tragic witch hunts, meanwhile, the melancholic acoustic guitar interludes offer a moment of solemn respite and deep sadness. Immersive keyboard arrangements reinforce the concept's occult, epic, and ceremonial nature. While the vocals and tracklist are entirely in Euskara Basque language spoken on both sides of the Pyrenees this choice actually heightens the sense of mystical ritual and cultural authenticity. The production is cold and razor-sharp in an old-school style, featuring an organic sound that emphasizes high frequencies, biting distorted guitars using tremolo picking, and a heavy rhythm section, the drums remain abrasive and fast. The result is a raw, direct form of black metal straight from the deepest abysses of hell, yet one that still retains subtle melodic touches.

On the downside, the sound processing is heavily compressed, this causes guitar distortion and flattens or stifles the bass and parts of the drums, making exhausting listening experience. Then there is the track length though the album consists of only five tracks, two of them ("Kez beteriko zeru penatua" and "Euria infernuko sutan") exceed nine minutes, which may be a stretch for listeners unaccustomed to this style of brutal Black Metal. However, there is no tedious melancholy, no slow tempos, andabove all like the atmospheric style Numen’s Erre delivers constant brutality, a joy for extreme metal fans that makes you want to add the album to your collection, and yes, it is certainly worth adding.

Necrobeast - Iron Baphomet (2026)

 

Label: Witches Brew

Tracklist:

1. In Communion with Satan

2. Promethean Flame

3. Iron Baphomet

4. Blood Gods

5. The Awakening of the Necrobeast

6. Emissary of Death

7. From Hell

8. Jakten

Chilean-born, Netherlands-based blackened thrash act Necrobeast deliver a punishing and relentlessly aggressive ride on their debut full-length, Iron Baphomet. It is a thrilling, old-school record that masterfully resurrects the raw, visceral energy of 1980s South American and Nordic black-thrash scenes, via Witches Brew (Germany) and Urolig Sjel Records (France) featuring 8 tracks of unrelenting extremity, this eight-tracks marks the long-awaited debut full-length album from Necrobeast a project originally founded 20 years ago in Valdivia, Chile, by mastermind Seb Kings (Sebastián Reyes)

The band celebrating 20 years in the extreme underground—has crafted an 8-track display of blackened thrash that feels authentic rather than nostalgic in th style of Bewitched, Sarcófago, Bathory, Aura Noir, old Slayer, old Sodom

Iron Baphomet immediately impresses with its raw authenticity, refusing any concession to modernity to offer a total immersion in the extreme of the 80s and that is their strong point in any case modernity in extreme metal scéne is substandard contrary to Iron Baphomet The first preview of the sound is characterized by furious, lightning-fast guitar work, driving thrash tempos, and raspy, possessed vocals. The album achieves a gritty, unearthly soundscape that prioritizes visceral, blood-pumping energy over sterile production. A sound that pleases and gives hope to veteran, beer-drinking fans of true old-school metal, because Iron Baphomet isn't for the children and kids of modern metal.

The atmosphere is dark and belligerent, a constant threat. The album opens with the sounds of sirens, explosions, and bells, establishing an end-of-the-world or post-apocalyptic atmosphere. A geographical duality: the atmosphere fuses the savage and bestial aggression of South American death/thrash with the glacial darkness of Nordic black metal. The overall tone is occult, hateful, and intensely ritualistic. The raw, subterranean production seems to come from the abyss of hell. Sharp guitars.

The microphone sound is intentionally dirty (unlike modern productions; Iron Baphomet's production is dirty and raw that's old school). A sound that pleases the ears and is adored by beer drinkers and hell-raisers, sharp and direct, recorded in Uppsala, Sweden, possessed vocals. The screams are grating, doubled at times to accentuate the effect of terror, without any digital smoothing, mechanical rhythm.

 The drums, although very clean and precise, have a clinical quality that contrasts with the grit of the riffs.

It evokes a sense of nostalgia like listening to a forgotten underground cassette from 1986, unearthed from the depths of the Chilean scene. It possesses a raw energy: the pace is frenetic, leaving almost no downtime, yet the execution is precise. Beneath the apparent chaos lies impressive technical mastery that prevents the project from becoming a sloppy mess.

To pay attention In Communion with Satan , Iron Baphomet, Blood Gods  and Jakten

In any case go add this masterpiece to your collection.