Sweden’s Wretched Fate has released 2 fine albums of Swedish-styled death metal, with their debut Fleshletting, back in 2019, and their 2023 follow-up, Carnal Heresy. Both put them near the top of the conversation as one of the bright newcomers in the genre.

To remind us they are still a major player in the genre, the band has dropped a 6 song EP. The first three songs are tracks that never made it to the Carnel Heresy album, and the second set of three songs are covers of Death Metal royalty in Morbid Angel, their clearest influence, Bloodbath and Nihilist.

The first three tracks are what you expect: big, crunchy Swedish Death metal, with opener “With Ashen Breath”, delivering arguably one of the grooviest, best riffs of the style in the year, and “Callous Mutilation Grandeur” being a faster ferocious number.

The three covers are of pretty legendary songs in the annals of death metal, no off-the-wall or surprising covers here; you get Morbid Angel‘s short sharp “Dominate”, Bloodbath’s iconic “Like Fire” (still with arguably one of the top opening riffs in the genre), where Adrian Selmani continues to deliver the best Akerfedlt sounding growls in the genre, and “Abnormally Deceased” from Nihilst (and also Entombed).

None of the covers do anything new or exciting, but deliver virtually note-for-note renditions of classic songs with a fervent energy, reminding us these guys are indeed possible heir apparent to the Swedish death metal throne.

[Visit the band's website]

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