Spectral Wound – Songs of Blood and Mire

It’s already been three years since Spectral Wound unleashed ‘A Diabolic Thirst’ upon the world, the sophomore record of the band filled with blistering Canadian Black Metal. And now, time has come for a new chapter in the Canadian’s book to unfold. Once again courtesy of Profound Lore Records we find ourselves faced with ‘Songs of Blood and Mire’.

‘A Diabolic Thirst’ left a lasting impression on me and many others, presenting Métal Noir Québécois that combined the sound of Forteresse, earlier Dark Funeral and Sargeist. High tempo melodic Black Metal with an icy overall atmosphere. And much of that core has remained intact on the newest release. But while ‘A Diabolic Thirst’ was largely an improved and colder version of the debut ‘Infernal Decadence’, the band has taken steps in further directions on ‘Songs of Blood and Mire’. Certainly, tracks like ‘At Wine-Dark Midnight in the Mouldering Halls’ and ‘The Horn Marauding’ are every bits as blazingly melodic and intense in pace as their previous material. But the latest album also offers more variation and ventures into other Black Metal elements. More frequently than ever, we find the band dropping the pace, add a sense of groove, dynamics and even further levels of catchiness. And this is certainly found back in the riffs, opting for a more harmonious approach, in which we often find double layers of guitar melodies complementing each other.

Perhaps the most extreme example of the diversified sound is ‘Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal’, a midpaced track with twin guitar harmonies that almost remind of Iron Maiden. The song certainly isn’t devoid of intense drums but mostly revolves around rocking groove. But even though it may sound a tad different than for instance the songs on ‘A Diabolic Thirst’, it still sounds like a natural fit for Spectral Wound and the catchy character of the track is bound to make it one of the more popular live songs. ‘Fevers and Suffering’ combines the typical uptempo blazing melodies but infuses it with more heavy chugging sections that allow the bass sound to shine. And in aforementioned ‘At Wine-Dark Midnight in the Mouldering Halls’ we not only hear the familiar elements, but also some notes of Bathory, perhaps in part a memory invoked by some acoustic strumming.

Now before I leave the impression that this album is a marked departure from the sound of the previous albums, rest assured. It is still very much the fast-paced tremolo-picking melodies of ‘Less and Less Human, O Savage Spirit’, ‘The Horn Marauding’ and  ‘Twelve Moons in Hell‘ that make the music of Spectral Wound so intriguing. The main difference is that these were the large majority of the standout quality of ‘A Diabolic Thirst’, while on ‘Songs of Blood and Mire’ the more harmonious tone to the melodies and the layered tempo changes and groove shows an increasingly versatile side of the band. As always, without compromise and without letting go of the typical Spectral Wound intensity and quality.