While their roots are in old-school Swedish death metal, the gents in Wombbath have been slowly morphing their sound into something that transcends that label. Sure, the HM-2 is still heard all over the place, but the band has really leaned into the dynamic direction that their songwriting has developed over the course of the last two albums. Agma is drenched in ominous atmosphere, and several curveballs—like the increased used of Wachenfeldt’s violin skills—are thrown in to keep us guessing. Have a listen to embedded track “At the Giant’s Feet” for a great example of the current Wombbath sound. Big thick riffs are accented by tight, sinister leads before the band drops down to a creeping plod for the chorus—a chorus that features some oddly effective Devin Townsend-esque high-pitched semi-cleans. As the second track on the album, I didn’t see this one coming, and I was delightfully surprised.
Basically everything about Wombbath has improved in the year since the release of Tales of Madness. The Swedeath songs Swedeath harder, as evidenced by “The Seventh Seal” and its blackened tremolos, the stomping caveman riffing of “A World of Destruction,” and the churning grooves of “The Dead and Dying.” The dark atmospheric passages have been given an even more prominent place as shown on “The Age of Death,” closer “On a Path of Repulsion,” and the stellar “In Decay They Shall All Fester.” But tracks like “Divine Pain,” the blistering “Blindly They Follow,” and the absolutely crushing “Scorned Existence” prove that Wombbath have traveled a fair distance from the Swedeath camp in which their journey began, becoming an all-emcompassing death metal machine.
Agma honestly doesn’t have any right to be this good. A 70+ minute record from a band traditionally associated with HM-2 Swedeath? Are you kidding me? On this, their third album in the last two years, Wombbath have demonstrated that they won’t be confined to strict genre descriptions, and the new songwriting elements have only strengthened the band’s sound. Sure, a shorter runtime would improve Agma’s appeal, and yes, the band would receive more year-end consideration if they didn’t release their records in late December, but all things considered, Agma is a strong death metal entry with which to cap off 2021. So light a candle, grab yourself a glass of wine, and relax into the Womb tub—the water is just fine!
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Websites: wombbathdeath.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/wombbath
Releases Worldwide: December 31st, 2021