« The Hell You Seek » EP
Self-Released/Independent
2014
Hailing from St. Catherine’s, Ontario, Death Metal fledglings, WRETCHEDPAIN, have released their second offering, “The Hell You Seek” and hope to grab listener’s critical ears! After 2010’s debut, “The Congregation”, the foursome has reconvened with an EP that maintains the intensity while upholding the standards by which the band initially approved,
Album opener, « Hatriot« , conveys a nice thrashy pull and propulsion while vocalist, Joey Glacken, spews venom akin to DEICIDE’s Glen Benton. Clear enunciation of the lyrics and passages simple enough to repeat will have fans grasping at invisible oranges in a live venue! Continuing with determination, « Cleansed in Fire » displays tech-savvy musicianship while holding onto the brute force of the «Thrashy Death» status –quo. Title track, « The Hell You Seek » is a furious medley of tremolo riffs and musical havoc before the song breaks to include a small breather, only to return with a «heroic solo» courtesy of Kris Norris (SCAR THE MARTYR/ex-DARKEST HOUR)!
Where the proceedings venture into more diverse areas is on « Laced With Cyanide« , a song that slows the momentum down slightly to reveal a sludgy riff pattern that’s both catchy and accessible. Depressive, monotone clean vocals make a surprising entrance to help bring the number to a close giving it the dynamics to standout. Another track that rears its ugly head above the pack is EP closer, “The Lessons of the Wise and Dumb” that captures the industrial/electronic and syncopated main riff tinges employed by FEAR FACTORY on their masterwork, “Demanufacture”. Before long, a melodic rhythm graces the fold in grand Swedish style! Interesting and clever, the song stands above all else on « The Hell You Seek » and clearly shows where WRETCHEDPAIN’s strengths lie!
Playing the standard template of a Death Metal while adding something new and fresh isn’t always an easy task, but WRETCHEDPAIN do a commendable job with EP, « The Hell You Seek« . Though the songs begin with stylistically standard ambivalence, the diverse nuances soon appear to great effect and reflect the direction the band SHOULD lean towards on future recordings! I leave you with the lyric video for album opening track, « Hatriot » and a live track, courtesy of Hangar of Metal, filmed in December 2013 at the Rotterdam Deathfest in Netherlands (yep, they were there!).
Standout Tracks: Laced with Cyanide, The Lessons of the Wise and Dumb
7.5/10
Chris
