Tombs

Path of Totality (Relapse)

German expressionism as outlined by art deco glows monochromatic on the cover of this Brooklyn trio’s third kill. Fritz Lang’s cinematic fever dream, Metropolis, pulses in Path of Totality‘s visuals and Teutonic punishment. “Black Hole of Summer” decays civilization, segued into the echoed toll of “To Cross the Land,” which then erupts into hardcore death pummel. With tumbling distortion, the title cut crumbles all remaining structures aided by the tribal (“Vermillion”) and epic (“Cold Dark Eyes”). Final drone: “Angel of Destruction.”

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This article appears in August 26 • 2011.

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San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.