In Conversation with TOMB MOLD: Zombie Shuffle Quickness and Forward Movement

On the surface, Tomb Mold’s second album, Manor of Infinite Forms (which can be purchased here), appears determined to thrust death metal into a time machine caked in fragrant, claret-stained soil and powered by Donald Tardy drum beats and hurl it back as many generations as (in)humanly possible. The Toronto outfit is united in moniker and sound and has attracted hordes of dead-undead fans to their fetid din in a short spell, which has taken no one more by surprise than guitarist/bassist/mastermind, Derrick Vella.

“Initially, it started as us just wanting to play Finnish-style death metal, make a couple tapes and call it a day,” said Derrick. “Obviously, it hasn’t worked out quite like that! Tomb Mold actually started with two people; myself on guitars/bass and Max Klebanoff on drums/vocals. Once we made a couple tapes and the first LP, it dawned on us that we’d have to fill out the band so we could play shows and tour. Now, we’re a four-piece and our other mates (Steve Musgrave on bass and Payson Power on guitar) are on the recordings as of the Cryptic Transmissions demo.”

Beware of the “Abysswalker” with this recent track!

Additionally, Tomb Mold has attracted attention of some underground heavy hitters. Their full-length debut, Primordial Malignity was issued by Sweden’s Blood Harvest Records in early 2017, about a year after their formation. An association was then fostered with the 20 Buck Spin label for the follow-up.

“I initially made contact with Dave around the time of Primordial Malignity, but mostly from a wholesale perspective. Once we released Cryptic Transmissions, I hit him up about carrying some of them and from there we started to talk about working together. For us, it was an easy decision. I can’t see myself or any of us wanting to work with anyone else going forward. He’s been beyond great and helpful and at this point, he’s a friend, not just someone I work with.”

“I write all of the songs on my own, initially,” he continues, about the new album’s creation, “but then Max helps put them together. From there, we bring the other two members up to speed and Max and I split lyric writing. I hadn’t set a particular goal with this record, but everything was written around the same time. We knew we wanted this record to sound bigger and a bit more polished. I wanted the sound to be consistent across the whole record, so I didn’t want to write anything extra or use anything older. I also put a great deal of thought into song sequencing and flow.”

The band released their latest full-length album Manor of Infinite Forms earlier this summer.

In just over two years, Tomb Mold has drastically shifted gears. The dynamic and direction of the band’s existence has altered and the response has been one of quick adjustments and prolific output, none of which was part of the original blueprint.

“Like I said, we figured we’d make a tape or two and then pack it in. We didn’t think anyone would care enough to want to work with us on putting out releases. When Blood Harvest offered to do the first LP, we started considering taking it more seriously. As far as being ‘prolific,’ it’s a couple of factors: When it’s just two people, it’s easy to write at a quick rate. I’ve also been fortunate to have come up with as many songs as I have and even luckier to have someone like Max working with me because he makes those songs better than I could imagine. Having a full band now helps motivate me to keep working on new songs so everyone stays engaged.”

Manor Of Infinite Forms is out now on 20 Buck Spin.