I have seen Demilich gain a lot of praise (and well deserved) around Metal-archives. More recently, people have become more aware of bands like Demigod, Sororicide, and Rippikoulu through hear-say, and I want to discuss another gem of early Scandanavian death metal that I think doesn’t get enough exposure, around here or anywhere. I’m talking about Internal Caustic Torments by the Swedish band Wombbath. This has really grown on me and has become my favorite album of the early Scandanavian scene, beating out other albums like Left Hand Path, World Without God, Slumber of Sullen Eyes, and Nespithe. If you are even somewhat of a death metal fan, you have to hear this album.



“Prevent Anemia”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bRbojims0o

“Performed in Depth”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNbPI8mJ ... re=related

“Corporal Punishment”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxAxIrkk ... re=related

There are many reasons why this album appeals to me. The catchy flowing riffs, natural sounding growls, effective use of the double bass, etc… Every song is a relentless barrage of brutal death metal (brutal in the old school sense). The whole atmosphere of this albums brings you back to a time in death metal in the early 90s where angry teenagers had nothing better to do than just thrash out the most insane shit they could come up with and had fun doing it.

I don’t know why this isn’t discussed more often and why it is rarely mentioned in the old school death metal threads that pop up every now and then. Maybe I just have a much too biased love for this album. Either way, any death metal fan should at least give this album a try. And if you could, please explain why you like or dislike this. I’d be interested in your opinions.

(BTW, if you decide to read my review of the album, keep in mind that it was a rather premature review as I didn’t really let the album sink in like I should have. I regret comparing it to Death and Morbid Angel so much, even though there are similarities.)

I'm definitely digging this, just from the first song.

Wombbath is awesome. I agree with the OP completely.

agreed kick ass brutal death

a lot of supposed "classics" , especially the very well known swedish ones, are actually inferior to this, and a lot of lesser known stuff from Finland.
it's a shame really, but oh well.

I'm sure the album would get more love if given a proper CD re-release.

But yes. Excellent EXCELLENT album. My favorite tracks are Interior Caustic Torments and ABANDON.

I always thought this band was pretty average stuff.

Yeah, I know Wommbath, solid death metal, not the best but very solid.

I just realized the first part of their name is referring to a "womb," and not wombats.

band is ok

not one of my favorite swedish bands

bottom tier for me

Meh

Was just listening to that out on my walk tonight.

I have some bootleg split cassette with Psychosis/Burial/Wombbath and I always thought that the wombbath was pretty interesting. It has the whole several shapes 7 inch ep on it. I guess this bootleg might be rare. Out of these songs I only know of corporal punishment..but I'll have to listen to it again. Thanks for reminding me about this band...

Wombbath are excellent Swedish Death Metal. There was actually quite a bit of talk about them in one of the obscure Metal threads last year.

holy fuck... goddamn this is good. this is the first time i've ever heard anyone mention this band. just another reason why i need to get away from thrash and listen to even more death metal i suppose!

The cover art has always perplexed me.

Does anyone know what's going on?

Man, just the other day I was trying to remember what this band/album was. I remember praise and the cover art from an obscure DM thread a while back but couldn't remember the band name for the life of me. I thought it was "worm" something, not "womb". I'll give it a listen one of these days.

I've always thought the album cover is a visual metaphor for inner tormention. The area in which those figures are in is probably supposed to resemble the insides of a human being, and the figures representing anguish and torment, hence "Internal Caustic Torments". Actually I think the album title and artwork go hand in hand.

Much better than new death metal.

Ive never heard of em before but ya killer stuff!

I just picked up the vinyl reissue a few days ago. Should be here next week

Wombbath is one of those bands I've never gotten around to listening even though I know I really should. I will do so now.

It's a good album, but it's no The Ending Quest, Left Hand Path, Dark Recollections or Splenium for Nyktophobia.

Listened to it before, but it's rather 'meh' to me. The drums aren't that good, neither are the vocals. Then again, I generally dislike Swedish death metal.

same here, ooouhhh and passage of life or evon the winterlong.
...but still internal caustic torments kicks a lot of ass.
the 90's dm scene from sweden was a fvcking gold mine.

Pretty good stuff!

Yikes. I came here to post that the band is generally pretty well known around here, but apparently I'm either wrong or the people who were in the know aren't posting.

I think they're ok. The vocals are kind of a turn-off for me but the album still gets pretty regular plays. Definitely worth your time if you're into old school death metal in any capacity but not top-tier, legendary stuff either.

I really wish I could enjoy more regular death... but I just don't.
This wasn't really that bad. Except for the vocals. I have to say, they're pretty lame.

I downloaded this album a fair while ago and listen it it quite often. Very good stuff.

Heard this last year, was on a heavy binge on this album along with Accidental Suicide's Deceased for about a week. Sick stuff.

This is some awesome shit, I must say. Loving the guitar tone and the riffs. Pure Death Metal right here.

To me the sentence would be changed to "the album would loss its cult factor if given a proper CD re-release." When holding the real physical copy and hear it thorough enough people will realize that it is no comparison to classics like Clandestine and Like an Ever Flowing Stream.

Recent years many "classics" have been reissued :eg. Authorize/Megaslaughter /Sorcery /Epitaph/Convulse which I used to want to get but finally they are just collecting dust in my CD shelf. The whole scene is a bit overrated.

But I still want the Utumno one to be reissued. For the remembrance purpose.

Ironicaly I just found out about these guys a few days ago and ordered the vinyl reissue off ebay. I love old school death metal like this. I think its the simplicity in the songs that make them so heavy and evil sounding. And Plus.. bands with this type of raw sound were made to be heard on vinyl.

the utumno WAS recently reissued

Thanks for the replies so far. I’m glad my intuition was correct. I knew people would be into this.



I won’t argue with the first three, but Splenium? I think Internal Caustic Torments destroys that album. It is nowhere near as memorable or fun to listen to than ICT, but to each his own.



Can you elaborate a bit on the drums and vocals? I think every piece on the drum kit has an amazing sound, and it’s a relief that the drummer used death blast beats like they should be used: few and far between, if any at all. I think more recent death metal use them way too much. And the drummer is up to speed with all the riffing. I can see how people wouldn’t consider them the greatest but they are by no means below average. They get the job done well under old school death metal standards.

And the vocals are sick in my opinion. On the surface, they probably seem conventional, but with a few proper listens I found out how entertaining and different they are from everything else. Good to hear sick vocals with no help from effects from time to time.

If technicality, speed, or melody is what you're looking for in death metal, than obviously this won't impress you. This is simply how no-frills death metal should sound in my opinion. If you get into this album, you won't get bored with it. And the clean production makes this album great to listen to in the car. Impress your death metal fans with it.

I like them, but not necessarily one that hit me dead on as an eternal favorite like others, but definitely one worth listening to a few times, and definitely essential for anyone who's serious about the scandinavian death metal scene.

Ah man, I'm digging all of it except the mediocre vocals. Awesome.

mediocre vocals? huh?

That guitar tone on "Corporal Punishment" is sickening. Why is it that all the Obscure early death metal is the best? I guess cause it's so "refreshing" to hear, rather than hearing the new death metal of modern times.

It's killer.

I spoke with one of the guitar players of Wombbath a few months ago and he said something about a reissue in early 2010 that would include earlier demos and other "goodies". He said it would be released on a New York based label. Don't know why that totally slipped my mind until now. Hopefully this works out though.