Swedish death is metal for crackheads; a tired, well trodden sound, with fanatics and devout followers always finding room for “just one more” illustration of the genre. It’s almost impossible to find a review of any modern album that doesn’t inevitably cite Dismember and Entombed as touchstones and reference points, crafting the illusion that there’s nothing left to offer from such established and boundary-setting aural paintings. Fortunately, a few bands carry the Swedeath torch with pride, and chief amongst them is Wombbath. Certified OG’s of the 90s heyday, they’ve had a major renaissance after reuniting back in 2013, set apart by genre experimentation and straight excellence of songcraft. Our beloved Holdeneye has sung their praises on several occasions, but with his attention focused elsewhere, I’ve leapt at the chance to get that mani-pedi that only the Swedes know how to provide. I hope you brought shampoo…
As is Swedeath tradition, the first thing to expect is the generally expected. The guitar tones still buzz with a familiarity like a warm blanket, HM-2 tones carrying out riffy assaults that seem pulled straight from the 90s while feeling refreshingly modern and immediate. Tracks like “Beyond the Abyss” and “Symphony of Dread” flow from Vomitory-infused bounce to the most melodic of At the Gates pomp, with theatricality and violence walking hand in hand. Wombbath exceed at stylistic song craft, slicing and dicing their way from chorus to solo to city leveling chug in equal measure where the aural excess never dominates the excellence of composition. A great track order allows Beyond the Abyss to carry the listener on an aural journey, from the pit ripper of an opening to the doom-laced plodding closer with ebbs and flows of speed, weight, and engagement without ever allowing fatigue or boredom to set in.
While familiarity is part and parcel with the subgenre, Wombbath continue to paint with the most vibrant of colors. Many songs come with violin flourishes and interludes, provided by guitarist Thomas von Wachenfeldt. While not quite going the way of Ne Obliviscaris, such flourishes permeate the album, letting the doomy flow of “Consumed by Fire” or the atmospheric laden “Deep Hunger” shine with sparkle and personality. Beyond the Abyss isn’t content to merely cause heads to bang off torsos or trigger air guitar-related arthritis, though both symptoms are to be found in ample measure. Bells, synths, choirs, a smattering of clean vocals, all frosting and sprinkles on a very deathly cupcake manage to set this release apart with its own character and flavor beyond being “merely” more Swedish death, and all without a dose of gimmickries or inauthentic utilization to be found.
The only downside to such a uniformly well-composed album is the peculiar lack of lethality in tone. Wombbath trade stock in the required chainsaw guitars, but these chords rev with that of an electric-powered rather than gasoline fueled machine. This causes otherwise excellent moments to pass by with less than their deserved impact, with moments like “Faces of Tragedy” – sporting a stank face inducing chuggathon worthy of modern Cannibal Corpse – suffering the most. Swedeath this aggressive and artistic is a rare treat, and when I find it, I want my speakers to tremble in terror. Instead, the tone sounds more akin to the most recent Frozen Soul, where excellent riffs give way to a more gentle presentation when a dose of bloodthirst is warranted. Fortunately, this complaint is abetted as the album progresses, but it still feels like a lost opportunity to give such fantastic riffs the last push they need to make a modern-day classic.
Wombbath continue their streak of excellence in execution with nary a clinker or dud to be found. Feral might be more violent and Lik more immediate and Grave more atmospheric, but Beyond the Abyss stands ready to remind any and all that, in the words of our Angry Overlord, at the end of the day death metal still rules the roost. Trimming down the album length to a reasonable runtime1 and keeping the tonal palate refreshed and vibrant with instrumental diversity has paid major dividends, cementing the band as modern-day forerunners of a founding father genre. If you’re still counting down the years till the hopeful and hypothetical new Dismember album, or if your affections for the genre have run stale in a world filled with Entombed clones, Wombbath are here to remind the world that the genre is still filled with vibrancy and potential. Hop on in! The womb water’s fine…..
Rating: 3.5/5
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Pulverized Records
Websites: pulverised.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-the-abyss | facebook.com/wombbathofficial
Releases Worldwide: March 14th, 2025
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