Sweden’s Black Wound has been around in different forms for about two years, starting off as Odium before changing to Rotten Incarnation last year and then changing again to their current name earlier in 2021. Where their two demos under those other band names were closer to standard death metal and even some death/thrash, as Black Wound they’ve pivoted towards death/doom and their latest effort To the Endless Depths showcases that perfect mix of extremely heavy, murky tonality and some faster moments. It’s pulling from some familiar territory, but even at this early stage this group showcases some differences that could help them stand out from the crowd as they continue to move forward and evolve.
The rawer tonality is an immediate plus for To the Endless Depths, as you’re greeted with lumbering grooves and some faster blasting on opener “Absence of Will”. Black Wound opts to start off showcasing their old-school death metal influences first, but rather than channeling the usual chainsaw HM-2 tone of their home country the riffs here sound a bit more American. From there the song lengths get a bit longer and this is where the death/doom starts to really come out, with the material moving seamlessly from denser blasting into thick, sludgy riffs that move forth with a zombie like lurch. It’s utterly filthy and has a sound that brings to mind some of the demos from the early 90s, though there’s enough space between the instruments that you can make out the details a bit better. Compared to some of the other bands out there, Black Wound utilizes a bit more melody during the doom passages and creates a tense and sinister atmosphere that isn’t too far from a horror movie soundtrack as well as what Spectral Voice was going for on their full length. This mixes well with the grimy death metal and injects a bit more sludge and even funeral doom at times. “Lurker of the Threshold/Dweller of the Depths” and “Traitor” push outside the usual death/doom script the most and have some of the best riffs, and while there’s room for Black Wound to expand upon these melodic elements even further the fact that they already have some distinguishing elements to their songwriting this early on is impressive.
In addition to the creepy and unsettling melodies that play a huge part in the band’s death/doom material, the vocals also go a long way in making To the Endless Depths leave an impact on listeners. William Kaloczy delivers very raw and distorted screams and growls that bring in a bit of Chris Reifert (Autopsy) at times, and his vocals have been mixed so that they are drenched in echo and hover over the instrumentals with an ominous presence. Kaloczy varies his approach pretty frequently on each song, and the amount of range he has works to Black Wound’s benefit as it keeps the vocals feeling intense for the entire demo without falling into repetition.
Admittedly the two straightforward death metal songs don’t leave nearly as strong of an impression as the death/doom, and I’d be curious if these guys can develop this side of their sound even further to match the dense atmosphere of their slower moments. But considering they’ve gone through three band names in two years and have changed directions along the way, this is still a strong first statement that showcases a ton of potential. Fans of Spectral Voice and Anatomia as well as the filthier, grimy variants of old school death metal will want this one in their collection. To the Endless Depths is available from Dry Cough Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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