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THE WRETCHED END
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With their second release, The Wretched End deserve much of the kind of attention usually reserved for former Zyklon/Emperor guitarist Samoth's partner in black beauty, Ihsahn. While the latter has made successful pathways into the land of experimental and avant garde, Samoth and his horde have remained firmly within the dark territories and fed on the rich quarry of the scorched landscape to evolve into a mighty beast stronger than many that have sought its ominous opals in the past.

The discordant chords, cutting riffs and machine-like drumming of opener 'Tyrant of the Mountain' with its half-time middle section, face-tearing lead, and massive coda make for a crushing track that threatens to put the remaining tracks at a disadvantage. Or so you'd think until 'Deathtopian Society' gets underway, the wall-of-fire drums, riffs and roars burning ever higher. 'Death By Nature' slows the tempo - albeit only slightly - for track that relies on weight moreso than speed for its power, the twisted lead-work adding texture to the atmospherics of the song. With more muscle than a fishermen's freezer, 'Cold Iron Soul' couldn't be colder, nor could it be mightier. 'The Haunting Ground's drum-work and the staccato, climbing riffs are devastating. The blasphemous 'Fear Propaganda' is as shards of glass, perpetually swallowed and regurgitated. The arpeggiated opening to 'Blackthorn Winter' is dark and sinister yet subdued enough to make the impact of the crushing chords and tortured melodies that follow all the more ominous. 'Hunger' chugs and blasts its way through the mire of black and death, and closer 'Throne Renowned of Old' finished ‘Inroads’ on a high (or should that be low?) so devastating that the eight tracks that preceded it are left quaking in its ominous shadow.

Simply put, ‘Inroads’ starts impressively and just gets better. Of all the tracks, ‘Death by Nature’ and ‘Hunger’ are the weakest tracks here but only in the sense that they feel ‘standard’, particularly when contrasted with tracks such as ‘Cold iron Soul’ and 'Throne Renowned of Old'. The Wretched End’s death/thrash/black metal has an edge sharper than the Reaper's dark humour and is heavier than Odin's first dump of the day.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Candlelight
Album
INROADS
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Review by Jason Guest
RUNNING TIME:
39:22
RELEASE DATE:
23rd April 2012
TRACK LISTING
1) Sirenum Scopuli; 2) React
3) Sparrow
4) High Times
5) Numbers
6) One With the Sun
7) The Ghost You Gave to Me
8) Pretty
9) Afterglow
10) It's Alive
11) Only Child
12) The Barrier
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
Norway
"The Wretched End’s death/thrash/black metal has an edge sharper than the Reaper's dark humour and is heavier than Odin's first dump of the day."
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