The Wretched End

Ominous

Candlelight Records

2010

Overview: Featuring Samoth (ex-Emperor and Zyklon), Cosmo (Mindgrinder) and Nils Fjellström (Dark Funeral), The Wretched End aims to combine elements from the more extreme corners of Metal in order to make a strong enough recipe to stand above the competition. However, things not always stand out as intoxicating or intriguing since, in essence, it sounds like the record is divided.

The first section showcases the band’s goods when it comes to blend the more old and modern-day Thrash/Death Metal elements with occasional moments of slight progressive virtuosity, such is the case with Numbered Days or Fleshbomb, but soon after things sound slightly uninspired and, eventually, more commonplace and fragmented, something you probably wouldn’t expect from a debut with such a line-up.

Production: Forceful, homogeneous and reasonably clear, providing a fluency to the sound that will appeal to those who revel in sharper sonorities.

Parting Thoughts: Even if not as incendiary as Samoth’s former releases, Ominous is still a promising and assertive venture in itself, and, once the follow-up strikes upon us, there’s a likelihood that these hindrances will become nothing more than a mere memory.

The Wretched End