THE WRETCHED END - Inroads

The Wretched End is the brainchild of the collaboration between Samoth and Cosmo, and this their second release so far. The band exists since 2008, and this album follows Ominous which was released two years ago. If you look at the band members you know what to expect, and from this point, the album doesn't disappoint you at all. The music here is mostly Death Metal, although it's enriched with enough Black Metal influences and enough Thrash parts here and there, and this makes things interesting enough. Along with that, the band has tried to add a certain eerie atmosphere to their music, something that doesn't always work though, but when it does it brings the whole music to a higher level. The first thing I noticed is the excellent vocals, a mixture of Death and Black, with a ritualistic feeling at times, that always move on high standards. Either the singer wants to growl, or sing in a more clear voice, he manages to deliver with the same quality, and this is a plus. The rhythm section also is a killer, and gives the necessary groove to the music, and Samoth doesn't need any comment on his guitar skills. The majority of the songs are good, with enough ideas, and the Black Metal influences along with the Thrash parts make the songs even better. As a result we have an album that is fun to listen to, although it moves on expected forms and holds few surprises for the listener. The music is groovy enough, and you will find yourself tapping the floor or moving your head along with the rhythm more than enough. It's fast at times, very close to perfection musicwise, with enough ideas and very few moments that might not be as good as expected. Check them out, but listen carefully, to fully explore the music.

8/10