UMUR "The Weight of Reality" is an EP release by Swedish death metal act Wombbath. The EP was independently released in March 2022. The release of the EP comes with this message on the band´s Bandcamp page: "In the wake of Putins unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, we have decided to release an EP where 100% of the proceeds will go to UNHCR in aid of the Ukrainian people in these unprecedented times." Strong political message aside this is still a musical project deserving a normal review.

Stylistically this is old school Swedish death metal but Wombbath have through the years since their 2014 comeback incorporated more and more elements from other genres like melodic death metal, goth metal, and doom metal, while still primarely playing old school death metal. The other elements are just spices to their core sound, but they are important elements which make Wombbath´s music more interesting. This was first heard on their 2021 magnum opus "Agma" album (a 70 minutes long death metal album), and that tendency is continued on the four tracks on this EP. "Rise of the Rotten" may open in a relatively regular Swedish death metal style, but "Where We Dwell" is a more doomy and adventurous track, which perfectly showcases the "new" Wombbath. Both "Coffin Worship" and "The Architect" are also nicely varied tracks. It´s like Wombbath have successfully paired the early 90s old school Swedish death metal sound with the slightly more adventurous early 90s death/doom releases by artists like Tiamat, Therion, and Cemetary, while still sounding pretty brutal.

"The Weight of Reality" features a well sounding production job, which suits the material perfectly, and upon conclusion it´s another strong release from Wombbath. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Lavatory" is an EP release by Swedish death metal act Wombbath. The EP was released through Napalm Records in March 1994. It´s the follow-up release to the band´s debut full-length studio album "Internal Caustic Torments" from 1993. One lineup change has taken place as lead vocalist Tomas Lindfors has left. The vocals on "Lavatory" were therefore recorded by session vocalist Daniel Samuelsson (Disgrace, Corrosive Divine). "Lavatory" was Wombbath´s last release in their original run. They did actually record a full-length studio album after "Lavatory" and sent it to Napalm Records, but there was no response from their label, and after recording a 2-track promo tape they disbanded in 1995. None of the two latter mentioned recordings were released.

It´s not only on the lead vocalist spot that there have been changes, as the material on "Lavatory" is quite different sounding from the preceding releases by the band. Their 1992 demo, the 1992 "Several Shapes" EP, and "Internal Caustic Torments" (1993) feature a brutal US influenced death metal style (which doesn´t sound Swedish at all), but on "Lavatory", Wombbath play a pretty creative death´n´roll style, featuring many rhythmic changes, breaks, melodic lead guitar work, the occasional use of atmospheric keyboards, unconventional song structures and interesting musical ideas. The vocals are now semi-growling/shouting/screaming/cleans, instead of the deep brutal growling of the past releases. So in that respect Wombbath followed the trends of the time, and changed from a death metal act to a death´n´roll act, which I must say is a bit surprising if you´re familiar with the preceding releases by the band.

"Lavatory" features a slightly thinly produced sound, but it´s somehow still decent enough, and you´re able to hear all instruments and vocals in the soundscape. Upon conclusion "Lavatory" is definitely one of the most creative death´n´roll releases I´ve encountered. It´s a smorgasbord of different musical styles and ideas, and I´m actually pretty impressed by how many interesting sections and ideas are thrown around. As a cohesive listening experience, I´m not so sure I think all the parts and ideas work that well together though, and when I evaluate this EP, I find that I´m more intrigued by the boldness of it all than I am by the actual music. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Internal Caustic Torments" is the debut full-length studio album by Swedish death metal act Wombbath. The album was released through Thrash Records in March 1993. It follows the release of the band´s January 1992 demo "Brutal Mights" and their June 1992 "Several Shapes" EP. Wombbath formed in 1988 under The Shadows monicker but changed their name to Seizure in 1990. They however quickly discovered that another band was using the Seizure name and changed their band name to Wombbath.

Stylistically the material on "Internal Caustic Torments" continue the brutal US influenced death metal style of the demo and the EP, which makes sense as one track from the demo and two tracks from the EP have been re-recorded and included here. It´s fans of artists like Deicide, Sinister, Cannibal Corpse, and Brutality who are recommended to listen to the album. The vocals are abysmal deep growling, but they are still intelligible, which is quite impressive. Lead vocalist Tomas Lindfors deserves a special mention for his commanding and aggressive delivery, which is a great asset to the band´s music.

Wombbath may be a very brutal death metal act, but there is a little more to them than that, and they often include brutal thrash influenced riffs (and not as often but just as important some well played leads and atmosphere enhancing keyboards), and very heavy and groove laden riffs in their music, which provide an otherwise relentlessly brutal album with some variation. I hear nods towards Suffocation and Dying Fetus in the way some of the heavy grooves are used in the music, and considering that "Internal Caustic Torments" was released in 1993, this is actually a pretty early example of theses types of heavy grooves in death metal.

"Internal Caustic Torments" features a raw, organic, and powerful sounding production, which provides the music with the right gloomy and morbid platform to shine. A perfect production for this type of music. History is full of death metal acts from the early 90s, who released a sole album and then disbanded (Wombbath are one of those who reunited in the new millenium), and in many cases that was for the better, as they really didn´t bring much more than cloned mediocrity to the table, but that´s certainly not the case with Wombbath, who released what I consider a gem that hasn´t been celebrated near enough considering the high quality of its content. A 4 star (80%) rating is fully deserved.

UMUR "Several Shapes" is an EP release by Swedish death metal act Wombbath, The EP was released through Thrash Records in June 1992. It follows the release of the band´s January 1992 demo "Brutal Mights".

"Several Shapes" is a pretty short EP release featuring only 3 tracks and a total playing time of 7:34 minutes. The opening track is a short intrumental intro, but when the title track kicks in you´ll notice right away that Wombbath have developed since the "Brutal Mights" (1992) demo. They have simoultaniously become more brutal and heavy but also faster and more aggressive. The heavy groove laden main riff on the title track almost remind me of something that Dying Fetus would perfect a few years down the line. "Corporal Punishment" continues in the same brutal US influenced death metal style. Both "Several Shapes" and "Corporal Punishment" would be re-recorded and included on Wombbath´s debut full-length studio album "Internal Caustic Torments" (March 1993).

"Several Shapes" features high level musical performances, well written and effective material, and an authentic, raw, and brutal sounding production job, and fans of the more brutal part of the early 90s US death metal scene (artists like Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, and Brutality) should find loads to love here. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Brutal Mights" is a demo released in January 1992 on cassette tape by Swedish death metal act Wombbath. The 4 tracks on the 16:29 minutes long demo were recorded in January 25-26, 1992 At Gamble Studio, Broddbo, Sweden. Wombbath formed in 1988 under The Shadows monicker but changed their name to Seizure in 1990, but then quickly changed again to the current one.

Wombbath are one of those Swedish death metal artists (and there are actually quite a few), who doesn´t have what most people would characterize as a Swedish death metal sound. They have much more in commom with contemporary brutal US death metal artists like Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, and Brutality, but if I have to mention a specific act they predominantly remind me of it would be the Dutch death metal act Sinister (who themselves are US influenced). One of the strengths of the demo is that Wombbath in their otherwise unrelenting brutality find a few spots in the music for more atmospheric elements like an atmosphere enhancing keyboard part or a morbid lead guitar melody.

The quality of the material is high, and "Brutal Mights" also features high level musical performances. The playing is brutal and tight, and lead vocalist Tomas Lindfors has a mighty and commanding growling delivery. As "Brutal Mights" also feautures a powerful and well sounding demo production, it´s through and through a quality demo release and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is fully deserved.