Wombbath ‘Choirs of the Fallen’
Album Review By Adam McCann
Soulseller Records/Death Metal
Following an absence of nearly 20 years, Wombbath returned to the metal scene in 2014 with their hotly received album ‘Downfall Rising’; since then, the Swedish death metal band have been busy, releasing ‘The Great Desolation’ in 2018 and now, Wombbath are back with their latest album ‘Choirs of the Fallen’.
Wombbath are a band which are bathed in the glory of old school Swedish death metal and therefore ‘Choirs…’ is an album that has plenty of that going on. What the listener gets her are relentless double bass drumming and tremolo picking riffs traded off with some decent guttural growls that have all the appeal of fellow Swedish bands such as God Macabre, Epitaph and Toxaemia. Yet, ‘Choirs…’ has that something else; something that isn’t so rooted in Scandinavia and instead also takes in international sounds that would turn the heads of fans of Rottrevore, Baphomet and even Benediction. This means that tracks such as ‘Choirs of the Damned’, ‘Crawling from the Pits’ and ‘From the Beggars Hand’ are some best examples not from just this album, but also from Wombbath’s career. However, ‘Choirs…’ at times feels a little flat and one-dimensional with the band at times failing to hold the attention of the listener, particularly as the growls can become a little tiresome. Furthermore, ‘Choirs…’ is a long album, clocking in at nearly fifty minutes, it begins to push the boundaries of what is palatable with Wombbath and it is a shame that plenty of the tracks here have not had their length addressed or at least trimmed.
‘Choirs…’ is a great example of what Wombbath are actually capable of, when this album is good, it shines brightly like a diamond in a mountain of coal. Ultimately, it is difficult to see this album holding the attention of passing death metal fans; however, hardcore fans of death metal will thoroughly enjoy ‘Choirs…’ and should definitely check it out.
Rating : 68/100
MHF Magazine/Adam McCann
