Band:	Spectral Wound
Album:	Songs Of Blood And Mire
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	August 2024
A review by:	AndyMetalFreak

01. Fevers And Suffering
02. At Wine-Dark Midnight In Mouldering Halls
03. Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal
04. The Horn Marauding
05. Less And Less Human, O Savage Spirit
06. A Coin Upon The Tongue
07. Twelve Moons In Hell

After performing Songs Of Blood And Mire to the dark unholy Spectre, it'll strike its deepest wound yet.

Grim, colourless cover art, depicting a depressing looking individual performing some kind of Satanic ritual whilst dressed in corpse paint, with sinister, ferociously blackened music produced in the most raw and unpolished sound possible to match the dark soulless image: these are perhaps what you'd consider essential requirements for traditional (trve kvlt) black metal. Obviously this is the case for many, but the whole concept of portraying such unspeakable Satanic Occult imagery is frowned upon by the vast majority of those who simply don't or won't understand such displays, let alone the music, which is obviously not for most faint-hearted easy listeners. Simply put, non-metalheads will likely find traditional black metal unbearable to listen to (to put it politely). However, there are still many of us who really couldn't care less what others think of this truly magnificent genre; we see beyond the ferociously evil noise and depressing souls expressing their unconditional love for Satan. It's an unexplainable passion like no other, and the music and dark atmosphere it provides really can be a fascinating listening experience.

Black metal has obviously come a long way since its origins, when King Diamond first introduced us to corpse paint and theatrical occult displays, and the boundaries of extreme blackened metal have also been pushed beyond the limits first established by Bathory; of course the great infamous Scandinavian scene had a lot to do with that. When we think of trve kvlt, the first bands that might spring to mind are pioneers such as Darkthrone, Taake, Watain, and Burzum, bands that even make the vile characteristics and blasphemous lyrics of Venom seem very tame in comparison. Now here we are 30 years later, and the genre has sprawled across the globe far and wide, showing no signs of slowing down. Scandinavia is no longer at the centre of traditional black metal, as we have scenes emerging in the likes of Poland, France, USA, and the nation of Canada, the latter of which is responsible for introducing us to the band in question here, Spectral Wound, who were established back in 2014.

Seeing only one change in the line-up, with guitarist A.A. joining Sam (bass) and founding members Jonah (vocals), Patrick (guitars), and Illusory (drums), Spectral Wound present their fourth full-length release to date, Songs Of Blood And Mire. This follows an already 3 staggering traditional Satanic-themed black metal offerings, which have helped Spectral Wound become not just a formidable force on the Canadian black metal scene, but have also led to them gaining recognition worldwide. At first glance, you might find their musical style, image, and blasphemous lyrical content not all that different from any other modern traditional black metal act out there, but look beneath the surface, and you'll soon understand why this band is held in such high regard, but why is that?

It's clear from the opening track, "Fevers And Suffering", that the band's fine form has very much carried over from their previous release A Diabolic Thirst, an album many rightfully considered the best traditional black metal release of 2021. This approach is vintage Spectral Wound through and through, from the tremendously ferocious tremolo duo taking centre stage, to the rapid blast beats, frenzied bass, and the harsh, torturous, demonically possessed howls and evil shrieks. This opener more than likely signifies good news for fans familiar with this band's previous efforts, and it only gets better from here; the main key is being able to keep up a high quality level of consistency, and through some excellent songwriting and an awe-inspiring performance, this is exactly what the band achieves. Although none of the 7 tracks featured contain any sign of filler material, there are a few songs that for me stand out above the rest, those being "At Wine-Dark Midnight In Mouldering Halls" and what is arguably the band's best song to date in "Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal". The highlights from the album may vary for each listener, but there is no denying that these two songs in particular contain some of the album's most complete and masterful songwriting, and with that comes some of the most memorable riffs yet written and performed by the band. 

A lot of why Spectral Wound stands out from most other traditional black metal bands is their outstanding quality production, and this is the case even more so on Songs Of Blood And Mire. The way in which they've kept the dark, evil traditional raw spirited sound of old alive, without intentionally stripping the sound back bare, is truly inspirational. Each element is expertly presented, whether it's the powerful blast beats and driving bass from the rhythm section, the echoing demonic howls and blackened shrieks, or intertwining ferocious tremolos that somehow retain that classic dark, cold, sinister tone, but in which you can still actually hear a staggering amount of melody at work also. This is the modern standard for which most traditional black metal bands now follow, and Spectral Wound have really nailed it.

If you're expecting something original or outrageously unorthodox, you won't find anything of the sort here, but if you want a perfect representation of what black metal truly offers, then Songs Of Blood And Mire can do just that for you. Spectral Wound have yet again conjured up an album of pure evil brilliance, this time with an even greater sound quality, and with that melodies all the more epic, so overall Songs Of Blood And Mire has more than enough to keep trve kvltists hooked and satisfied throughout. It will take something truly special to knock this mighty Canadian quintet off the traditional black metal pedestal, that's for sure.