The Sound Of Terror: SPECTRAL WOUND - A Diabolic Thirst Review

Brace for black metal that stares right at your face with a nihilistic grin.

Words by Danny Gonzalez (@badulario):

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Following 2018’s Infernal Decadence, the Montreal, QC quintet SPECTRAL WOUND have entered the arena once more with a highly technical yet rampaging explosion of killer riffs and harsh verses all over a dense cluster of sonic layers.

As soon you hit play on the opening track, Imperial Saison Noire, a creeping fire and a crude, devastating growl hits you right in the face. While Jonah's (Campbell, vocals) guttural attacks from all ends, perfect synched riffs and battering drums create a massive sound wall that at times reminds one of Mgła’s atmospheric passages, but with their very own signature, one of intense and enraged despair. The frenzied solos rip through that wall with relentless intensity to shuffle speed and kick right into the ominous opening chords of Frigid and Spellbound while a drumroll precedes another brutal guttural attack. Frigid and Spellbound thrives as a riff centered track, offering brief melodic sections that erupt violently before transitioning into the beast that is Soul Destroying Black Debauchery. The title speaks volumes about the relentless brutal passage this song is. Even while shifting downtempo to melancholic riffs, the visceral verses crush what’s left of one’s sanity. From an abrupt stop, the record then jumps into Mausoleal Drift. This ten-minute plunge into a dark catacomb kicks off with a funeral like monotonous riff then grows into a crescendo of soul-draining wickedness, leaving listeners very little breathing room with Fair Lucifer, Sad Relic to follow. The SPECTRAL WOUND ensemble rages on from start to finish at the same brutal rate as a gatling gun from hell. To conclude this soul-crushing trip comes Diabolic Immanence, a euphoric and more rhythmical discharge in sync with the mood and essence of the entire album. It serves as one final sample of the great technical display that has been constant all along. Visually, the cover’s picture describes the record to perfection, capturing the overall sensation of A Diabolic Thirst, which delivers in its 44-minute glory a spiritual obliteration and one sick thirst for more.

It’s evident that during the last three years, SPECTRAL WOUND have been pretty busy sharpening their craft, mastering their execution, melodic consistency, and high sound recording quality, all of which make A Diabolic Thirst an instant black metal favorite. In short, it's an intense atmospheric journey that is solid, brutal, honest, and quite frankly, a masterwork. This is black metal in all its vile grandeur. For all of you when already pre-ordered the record already, you won’t be disappointed at all!

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A Diabolic Thirst arrives on April 16th via Profound Lore Records. Pre-order yours HERE.