UMUR
"Choirs of the Fallen" is the fourth full-length studio album by Swedish death metal act Wombbath. The album was released through Soulseller Records in March 2020. It´s the successor to "The Great Desolation" from June 2018. Just as the case was between the release of "Downfall Rising" (2015) and "The Great Desolation" there have been several lineup changes between the release of "The Great Desolation" and "Choirs of the Fallen" and again it´s only guitarist Håkan Stuvemark and lead vocalist Jonny Pettersson who remain from the lineup who recorded the predecessor. New in the lineup are guitarist Thomas von Wachenfeldt and drummer Jon Rudin, while the bass was recorded by session musician Giulio Rimoli.
Stylistically "Choirs of the Fallen" is Swedish old school death metal and while it´s a continuation of the sound from the last two albums, it´s a slightly more raw and less polished release, which I personally think suits Wombbath much better. They still aren´t the most unique sounding Swedish death metal act, but this album is a bit less generic and slightly more memorable than the last couple of releases. The sound production actually isn´t the best sounding, as the buzzsaw guitars are placed a bit low in the mix and the drums feature a clicky artificial sound, but somehow this more stripped down and less polished sound production suits Wombbath´s music better than the more polished sound productions of the last couple of releases. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is deserved.
