To celebrate their thirty years of career, Wombbath offers us a second album this year.
Entitled Tales of Madness, it has the goal to revisit the band’s entiere discography. About the line-up, we have Håkan Stuvemark (guitar/bass, Skineater, Reek, ex-In Thy Dreams…), Jonny Pettersson (vocals/guitar, Ashcloud, Revolting, Just Before Dawn, Henry Kane…), Jon Rudin (drums, Just Before Dawn, Those Who Bring the Torture, ex-Ashcloud…), Thomas von Wachenfeldt (guitar/violin, Wachenfeldt) et Matt Davidson (bass, Repulsive Vision).
Special event means a special album. So it’s some kind of “best-of” that the Swedes prepared us, with three tracks from Burtal Mights, The Grave, very first track the band composed, a remake from Lavatory Suicide Remains, followed by an old composition and two new songs.
Since Tales From The Dark Side, we feel that labelling Wombbath Old School Death Metal isn’t a style effect, but the band really embodies it. This so special sound, between violence and raging melodies, those powerful cavernous vocals and this so tasty dirty mix. The song is very catchy, and it’s the same for Brutal Mights. Even if I’m used to Death Metal, I will still be as much surprised by such an unfurling wave of brutality by the band. Unholy Madness revives those unholy sonorities that the band like to add to its song, while offering a mandatory headbang session following the rhythmic.
The Grave, which is the band’s very first composition, offers us those aggressive melodies that we enjoy without reserve, as well as a great fix on frenzy under greasy and heavy riffs, then Lavatory Suicide Remains hits with its introduction. Soft sonorities will be interrupted by an avalanche of blast beat and impressive riffs, but weighing harmonics are not left out. Save Your Last Breath To Scream was composed in the same optic, which is to smash people before making them move. The band doesn’t skimp on ressources, mainly about drums, to succeed.
In the end, Tales of Madness and The Fleshy Existence of Man, the band’s two new compositions, fall upon us. It’s interesting to listen to them directly after the older ones, to understand nothing has changed. The band still offers a heavy rhythmic, shrilling but melodic harmonics and pure rage. Those two amazing songs will not escape to this method. If the first one focuses on pure violence, the second one will surprise you due to the violin part…
Wombbath makes something new with an old recipe, but it’s still qualitative. Tales of Madness wonderfully retraces the band’s firsts steps, offering a second youth to legendary tracks, but also two amazing new songs that will be loved by fans.
90/100
