Band:	Wound
Album:	Inhale The Void
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	July 26, 2013
A review by:	Susan

01. Odium
02. Codex Arcanum
03. Echoes
04. The Unsolved Obscurity
05. Forever Denial
06. Confess The Filth
07. Corroded From Within
08. Among You
09. The Prince Of Tyranny
10. Inhale The Void

I judged a book by its cover. And I thank the metal gods that I did! This death metal started off sounding a bit more raw than I usually like, but I just kept staring at the creepily awesome cover art and letting the album play. In all honestly, that's what drew me in and opened the door to my loving the music as well.

I dig the kind of death metal that doesn't let you turn away. When bands perform with an urgency and intent that demands your ear, when they never let the energy lapse for a second, that's what keeps me interested. Wound gives us quite a wall of sound but manages to include key variances to keep us guessing. Vocals can be low growls, high shrieks, or (most often) mid-range yells that fit the raw quality of the music. Tempos are usually fast but can slow down several degrees when needed to shake things up.

It's very raw and honest, with an almost subtly punk vibe at times. There is no pretense, no production tricks or gimmicks, just real, ass-kicking metal.

Interestingly, the title track is not the dizzying hard-hitter in the middle of the album; instead it's the short, atmospheric album closer. It's perfect, however. After this wild ride that goes by too quickly, it would have been a harsh come down if the album just ENDED. But "Inhale The Void" uses some quite emotive acoustic guitars to bring us down gently. It's ominous, though, and despite the unplugged nature of this track, it closes things out without losing the intensity; it lets us down as lovingly and tenderly as smothering us with a pillow.

Prior to this debut full-length, Wound's demo "Confess The Filth - Demo MMXII" earned the title Demo Of The Month by Germany's Rock Hard Magazine. It's encouraging to see a talented band burst on to the scene and CONTINUE making great music after getting our attention. It's also encouraging to hear a debut that is as confident as this, which has something to say, and which certainly doesn't sound like a debut.

Inhale The Void is the kind of album that makes you proclaim enthusiastically, "DAMN this is good!" during each and every song.