REVIEW: Deadwound - "Identity Shapes"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 17/02/2017

Label: Black Bow Records

The South-West London quintet deal in a compellingly nasty blend of filthy sludge riffs, jarring discordance and searing bursts of d-beat fury. Tracks like “Crucifixed” and the crushing dirge of “Witch” come out of the blocks like “Remission” era Mastodon locked in a sweaty basement with His Hero Is Gone.  The band deliver twenty minutes of exhilarating noise that is equal parts barbed complexity and raw simplicity.

“Identity Shapes” DD track listing:

01. Crucifixed
02. Kult Warrior
03. Witch
04. Cruel Road
05. Babylon

The Review:

The prospect of members of doomed black metallers Bast and angular noiseniks Silent Front joining forces to unleash riff mayhem is a mouth-watering one. Deadwound’s debut EP “Identity Shapes” delivers five tracks of the quality you would expect from this heavyweight line-up. There are plenty of hints of the members other projects throughout but the band have already developed their own distinct identity.

The South-West London quintet deal in a compellingly nasty blend of filthy sludge riffs, jarring discordance and searing bursts of d-beat fury. Tracks like “Crucifixed” and the crushing dirge of “Witch” come out of the blocks like “Remission” era Mastodon locked in a sweaty basement with His Hero Is Gone. “Climax” sees the bands noise rock influences bubble to the surface, culminating in a razor-sharp Shellac-esque one chord assault. The conclusion to brutal parting shot “Babylon” takes an unexpectedly epic turn, slurred riffs providing the backdrop for a subtle but effective spacey guitar solo.

The impact of these tracks is helped by a perfectly pitched production job. It is weighty enough to capture the gut-punch of the band’s low-end heaviness but scratchy enough to showcase their ragged punk energy.  

“Identity Shapes” is an attention-grabbing opening gambit from Deadwound. The band deliver twenty minutes of exhilarating noise that is equal parts barbed complexity and raw simplicity. This is a release loaded with potential that whets the appetite for a full-length dose of carnage.

“Identity Shapes” is available here

Band info: facebook