Marking its return after a quiet post-2023 period, since its first debut full-length release, Street Tombs presents Existence Is Corruption, a record that merges foundational extreme metal roots with innovative structural changes. Emerging from Santa Fe’s underground scene around 2017 with a traditional death metal foundation, the band now incorporates more prominent d-beat rhythms (named both after a specific,4/4 fast, relentless, driving drum pattern) and crust-punk distortion. Across the track list, the music balances these faster, punk-infused tempos with heavy, mid-tempo grooves, down-tuned guitar riffs, and deep vocal performances that reinforce their foundational death metal roots.
All of these elements shape the album’s structural dynamics, combining classic Bolt Thrower-style death metal grit with Discharge-inspired d-beat rhythms. Vocalists Damian Jacoby and David McMaster alternate between low, cavernous growls and high, serrated screams, utilizing their voices primarily to layer texture and reinforce the record’s heavy atmosphere. Meanwhile, Galen Baudhuin’s bass lines and Ben Brodsky’s drumming form the rhythm section, emphasizing continuous forward momentum and steady, repeating rhythmic patterns throughout the tracks.
In addition, “Systematic Suffering,” by Street Tombs, demonstrates a blend of old-school death metal (OSDM) and crust punk. The track pairs low-tuned, cavernous guitar riffs with driving, punk-influenced tempo changes. Unprocessed vocal deliveries sit atop distorted guitar work and steady percussion, resulting in a dense, sinister auditory landscape that aligns with the band’s underground aesthetic, featuring dynamic structural shifts and a sustained, high-energy pace throughout its duration.
As the album reaches its last track, “Parasitic Feast” relies mostly on continuous fast tempos, almost omitting mid-tempo or slow breakdowns entirely. Past its halfway mark, it incorporates two transitory melodic passages accompanied by guitar solos over a surging drum beat. These lead guitar additions subtly broaden the song’s melodic scale, while the accelerated rhythm section maintains the record’s primary stylistic direction, featuring rapid tremolo-picked chord progressions and continuous blast beats that maintain a uniform structural velocity.
Taken as a whole, Existence Is Corruption marks a formidable return for Street Tombs. By blending their OSDM roots with intense crust-punk rhythms, the band delivers a vicious record that honors death metal tradition while expanding their signature musical footprint. Subsequently, the raw, unprocessed vocal tracking and heavily distorted guitars combine to submerge the listener in a dense and gritty underground soundscape.
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