Live Review: Spectral Wound - Manchester

Live Review: Spectral Wound – Gorilla, Manchester

8th August 2026
Support: Final Dose
Words: Matthew Williams
Photos: Rich Price

As thousands of metal heads headed to Derbyshire for their annual pilgrimage to Bloodstock, I ventured up to Manchester for my first live gig in about 3 weeks. This is a bit of a drought for me, but a night of black metal was calling my name at one of the best live venues in the city, Gorilla.

I’d missed Spectral Wound on their last trip to Manchester and was intrigued to see what they would sound like live. Playing several songs off their excellent 2024 release, “Songs of Blood and More” my ear plugs were firmly in place, but before them, Londoners Final Dose brought their own sinister take on the black metal genre.

Laden with punk influence, and with a stage draped in red lighting, the quintet begins with “Eternal Winter” as hooded/masked vocalist Bruno Fusco is joined by bassist Jack Thompson on terrifying vocals. They rip into “Weathered Axe” as the rapid drums from Filipe Simoes start to pummel away at your mind, body and soul. “Song 5” was written on the set list, and is a savage number, with a mental tempo and blood curdling screams.

They have an awesome intro riff for “Wretched” as the pace and intensity increases before “Golden Chalice” introduces more oomph and headbanging chaos on stage. The rumbling bass stands out on the slow and menacingly evil “Vampyric Drain” which leads into a raucous sounding “Rites of Spring”. A sound reminiscent of an alarm bell rings out during “Song 6” before the deathly screams return on “Forsaken Armor” accompanied by some shit hot solos, and they end with the brutal “Dark Paradise”.

As AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie” comes to an end, the Spectral Wound logo appears on the screen behind, as an icy, wintery intro beckons the Canadians onto the stage. There are no airs or graces about this lot, and with very little interaction with the crowd, their performance is intensely focused as they begin with “Fevers and Suffering”. The dual vocals between singer Jonah and bassist Sam, are powerful as the huge drum sound accompanies the blistering rhythm.

With fists in the air, and heads now rocking in the crowd, they play the stunning “Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal” which is like a relentless battering brain to your skull. They have tempo changes galore, and the two guitarists, Patrick and A.A. just get on with their job of mercilessly ripping at your flesh with their solos. It’s moody and atmospheric before “Black Satanic Glamour” which sounds more demonic and fearsome, with the vocals being particularly enjoyable.

There’s no let up in the blistering pace, and they continue with “A Coin Upon the Tongue” which is very catchy, before “Less and Less Human, O Savage Spirit” and “The Horn Marauding”. They aren’t reinventing a genre here, but what they are doing is creating potent and all-consuming songs, that leave the crowd transfixed by the array of vicious vocals, towering solos and ruthless sounds that are coming from the stage.

After being blown away, they play my favourite song, “Frigid and Spellbound” which is nothing short of brilliant, as it’s wonderfully frantic yet beautifully controlled in the most manic of ways. They end with “Twelve Moons in Hell” which sees more speed and barbaric sounds with a more animated frontman giving every bit of energy to the masses gathered inside the venue, to conclude a fascinating performance.