Three years on from their acclaimed debut album, Ash In Realms of Stone Icons, Atlanta, GA progressive blackened metal band TÓMARÚM return with Beyond Obsidian Euphoria on April 4 via Prosthetic Records. Following extensive North American touring since 2022, TÓMARÚM’s sophomore full-length is the next chapter in the group’s ever-evolving search for inner meaning, strength and peace. Where Ash in Realms of Stone Icons served as a prologue in the band’s continuing narrative thread, Beyond Obsidian Euphoria marks the beginning proper of TÓMARÚM’s story.
Thematically a concept album that follows immediately after the events of their first full-length, Beyond Obsidian Euphoria finds TÓMARÚM reaching out from the depths of depression and despair for transcendence and triumph on the other side of woe. Chronicling the narrator’s quest throughout nine songs, Beyond Obsidian Euphoria’s metaphorical title for the act of self-destruction also alludes to the pursuit of living a life beyond tragedy and defeat, with fantasy-inspired tales of Herculean strength and vulnerability at the forefront of Beyond Obsidian Euphoria’s odyssey.
Having solidified and expanded their line-up from a two-piece, with founding members Kyle Walburn and Brandon Iacovella at the helm, into a quintet in 2022, recent years have seen the band cohesively transition into a collaborative unit both on stage and in their songwriting process. Tours alongside Inferi, Dessiderium, and Cyborg Octopus, respectively, as well as separate stints with labelmates Dawn of Ouroboros and Volcandra, saw the Atlanta band develop a reverence among fans across the US and Canada for their work ethic and creative idiosyncrasies.
Keen to continue ever forward from their promising beginnings, Beyond Obsidian Euphoria was written and self-produced by TÓMARÚM throughout 2023 and 2024, and mixed and mastered by V. Santura (Triptykon, ex-Dark Fortress). On their second full-length offering, the band focused their efforts on crafting a fully self-contained statement of incandescent ambition, raw emotion and a focus on the complexities of the healing process from psychological difficulties.
TÓMARÚM’s light and shade dynamic is best exemplified on lead single Shed This Erroneous Skin, as Walburn, Iacovella and Matthew Longerbeam (guitar, vocals) weave intricate and gossamer, delicate guitar and vocal lines against a mercurial rhythm section of bassist Michael Sanders and drummer Chris Stropoli’s blast beats and lockstep flow, as blackened death metal passages weave seamlessly between progressive melodies and vocal harmonics. Elsewhere, Iacovella lends his voice to spoken word narration, tying together the nucleus of TÓMARÚM’s sonic palette on Shallow Ecstasy and Halcyon Memory: Dreamscapes Across the Blue, which explore bittersweet themes of somber existence and nostalgia as a double-edged sword, as well as the toweringly ambitious and defiant album peak The Final Pursuit of Light.
Beyond Obsidian Euphoria’s visual element is captivatingly tied together by Ukranian / Italian artist Mariya Popyk (aka Crnobogart), with the oil painting bringing a flair of fantasy and psychedelia to TÓMARÚM’s latest chapter. Graphic design and custom calligraphy were also provided by Woodcvtter Illustration.
TÓMARÚM is:
Kyle Walburn – Guitar, Vocals, Programming
Brandon Iacovella – Guitar, Vocals, Programming, Contrabass, Narration
Matthew Longerbeam – Guitar, Vocals
Michael Sanders – Bass, Vocals
Chris Stropoli – Drums, Vocals, Programming, Sound Design