ALBUM REVIEW: Oozing Wound - "Whatever Forever"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 14/10/2016

Label: Thrill Jockey

Oozing Wound take the listener on a wild ride during the course of “Whatever Forever”.  A perfect balance of no-nonsense, metal mayhem and off-kilter complexity, it’s an album that sometimes strokes its beard but always bangs its head.

“Whatever Forever” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Rambo 5 (Pre-Emptive Strike)

2). Diver

3). Deep Space

4). Mercury in Retrograde Virus

5). Weather Tamer

6). Everything Sucks, and My Life is a Lie

7). Eruptor

8). Tachycardia

9). You Owe Me, Iommi

10). Sky Creep

The Review:

If Saviourscrashed their van into a pool of radioactive noise rock sludge, the monster that emerged would sound a lot like Oozing Wound. The Chicago trio’s new LP “Whatever Forever” is a potent blend of raw thrash and weird excursions into the unknown that rocks hard at all times.

“Rambo 5 (Pre-Emptive Strike)” kicks things off in furious fashion with a whirlwind of riffage and unhinged fretboard abuse. If Rambo 5 does get the official go-ahead, the producers would be foolish to have anyone else but Oozing Woundprovide the soundtrack. This track sets the bar for excellent song titles throughout the album too, beaten only by “You Owe Me, Iommi”, a brief clean guitar interlude before the closing burn-out of “Sky Creep”.

If Oozing Woundwere simply a thrash band they would still be awesome but it’s their epic forays into stranger territory that provide the highlights on “Whatever Forever”. “Mercury In Retrograde Virus” and “Weather Tamer” are both eight minute monsters that showcase what the band are capable of when they slow their assault down a touch and let their exploratory capabilities take over. The mid-section of “Mercury in Retrograde Virus” particularly highlights the skills of bassist Kevin Cribbin as the bass becomes the lead instrument while guitarist Zack Weil lays down a solid foundation of riffage. This makes the low-end impact all the more powerful when Cribbin and Weil revert to their traditional roles. “Everything Sucks and My Life is a Lie” demonstrates another facet of the band’s sound, a driving voyage with a melodic, spacey edge courtesy of some delayed guitar that recalls Cave In’s more cosmic moments.

Oozing Wound take the listener on a wild ride during the course of “Whatever Forever”.  A perfect balance of no-nonsense, metal mayhem and off-kilter complexity, it’s an album that sometimes strokes its beard but always bangs its head.

“Whatever Forever” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook