EP REVIEW: The Road Ahead – Woundvac

Phoenix, Arizona’s WOUNDVAC have been consistently putting out great music since the release of their debut, eponymous EP in 2014. The band have gone from strength to strength ever since, finally putting their debut full length, Terrorizing The Swarm, in May of last year. Not ones to rest on the laurels, WOUNDVAC have quickly written and recorded a short, yet thoroughly impressive, EP, The Road Ahead, to follow it up. Continuing in much the same vein as their previous record, The Road Ahead blends dense grooves, monstrous musicianship and harsh, arid vocals, its yet another fantastic and abrasive release that showcases as much talent as it does aggression and intensity, in spite of its relatively short running time.

After a short and dissonant opening track that crafts an impenetrable wall of noise and builds anticipation for what’s to come, The Last Nail bursts into life on a wave of ferocious guitar hooks and machine gun fast drumming. Fierce, powerful vocals add plenty of weight to the already aggressive and robust sound, with the emotive roars complimenting the cacophonous and monstrous approach of the music extremely well, making for an excellent opening offering that sets the tone for the next three songs. Tightening Chain maintains much of the rabid and vicious sound that defined the last track, whilst adding a thick and catchy groove to the proceedings which really does a great job of providing a far more monolithic and instantly memorable sound, which adds a little depth to the overall sound of the EP.

Never An Option ups the ante as far as the chaotic nature and visceral power of the music is concerned, making for a brief yet brilliantly brutal slab of frenetic grindcore that goes straight for the jugular and doesn’t ease up until it comes to its conclusion. Institutional Bloodshed, the last and lengthiest affair on this short sharp shock of a record at just under four minutes, brings in much of the energetic and relentless percussive might that has informed the EP as a whole and blends it with a sludgy bass and grating, jarring riffs that are counterpointed by much catchier and memorable hooks. It’s a suitably driven and bellicose note on which to bring this record to a close.

Although this record is fairly brief, clocking in at just shy of ten minutes, it leaves its mark immediately, and there’s not a dull moment on display here. Right from the very start, WOUNDVAC make a concerted effort to pummel the listener with a relentless aural assault, with the music not losing any of its intensity for even a second until the final song comes to a close, making for a cacophonous and chaotic affair that goes for the jugular and expands on the already ferocious sound of Terrorizing the Swarm even further. The road ahead for both WOUNDVAC and fans alike looks incredibly promising.

Rating: 8/10

The Road Ahead is set for release September 13th via Corpse Flower Records. 

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