Album Review: Wombbath – Tales of Madness
Reviewed by Paul Hutchings
A band seminal in the early OSDM scene, Wombbath celebrate their 30th anniversary with ‘Tales of Madness’, which includes re-recorded songs from their early years alongside brand-new material. Wombbath initially operated from 1990 – 1995 before hiatus/split, reforming only in 2015. Of the current line-up, only guitarist Håkan Stuvemark remains from the original band members. Their underground reputation resulted in 1993’s Internal Caustic Torments release, whilst they have managed three further long-players since their reformation, including ‘Choirs of the Fallen’, released in March.
Whilst Tales of Madness is a ‘new’ release, several of the eight tracks are re-recorded efforts. The first three consist of ‘Tales from The Dark Side’, ‘Brutal Mights’ and ‘Unholy Madness’ are all drawn from the 1992 ‘Brutal Mights’ EP. ‘The Grave’ is noted as the first ever written Wombbath track whilst ‘Lavatory Suicide Remains’ is also a re-recording.
The final three tracks on the album represent the band in current form and flow effortlessly from the first five recordings. Wombbath’s distinctive chugging style is such that the songs combine into a cohesive release that is an interesting comparison of the band’s evolution. The bulldozering effect of the OSDM sound meant that many bands were limited in any individuality or originality, merely echoing the sounds of their peers.
The three new songs provide a scintillating glimpse of modern day Wombbath, with fresh impetus and focus. It remains as brutal as ever, the wall of riffs and the guttural vocals timeless. A battery of intensity, there is little here that will disappoint the die-hard fan. With a solid mastering there is no difference in the sound that stretches across the record, and in ‘The Fleshly Existence of Man’, Wombbath have created a teaser for their next release, apparently planned for 2021.
