ALBUM REVIEW: Deathwinds – …Towards Doom…

Vancouver, Canada has an endless amount of really unique and interesting extreme metal. For me, Ceremonial Bloodbath is one of the strongest examples of this. So when I saw a new album featuring half of the lineup, I was intrigued. Deathwinds play primitive black/death metal and their debut album is out now via Sentient Ruin Laboratories and Headsplit Records. With prior EP’s in 2014 and 2023, their discography has been sparse but hopefully building to this moment.

Eerie guitars and crushing bass introduces the record alongside some otherworldly synths, certainly an unorthodox beginning for a descent into primal chaos. The bludgeoning percussion and ferocious vocals wrapped around a core of molten violent riffing hits like a sledgehammer and drives forth a spearhead of iron-clad evil. The savage music is met with a raw but tough production, allowing each element to be felt through the entire body as we progress from grinding hellfire to grooving mania. Obvious comparisons to Black Witchery, Conqueror and the like can be made but there’s also these Slayer-esque howls and more thrashy moments that put a halt to this being yet another war metal worship band (don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of killer ones, but also a lot that just don’t stand out). Some of the riffs even feel akin to fellow Canadians Slaughter which adds to the frantic and brutal intensity of the record. Merciless strikes continue to follow and the tone is set for what kind of record this is going to be; an uncompromising and visceral one.

Invoking the gods of war, there is a strong primitive black/death feeling to this record but also some really punky elements. Such titans as Discharge can definitely be felt in the music and that works supremely with their vision of malevolent destruction. Enhancing the chaos with tightened drum performances and malicious riffs, there is a sense of wildness and yet a remarkable precision which together ensures this is a lethal listen throughout. Simplicity is the key, and they strip it back so they can play as hard as possible which works massively in their favour. Some songs take things into more unhinged territories like “Towards Doom”, the title track. For me this really pushes the record into a third dimension without really going away from the main spine of concrete-like heaviness. Whenever they meander into more frantic realms, the stampeding groove of Archgoat and Revenge comes back to bear its influence. This is a really well balance record that keeps its impact brutish and ready to cause blunt force trauma.

Until its unholy climax, “Towards Death” does what its title says; charges towards mortality and mayhem with sanguinary lust. Every track is a belligerent offering of pugnacious vitriol that flows seamlessly from the last. Simply put; you will either pound your first like a maniac or run like a wimp. There’s nothing to “get” about this record, either primordial extremity is for you or it is not. Pretentiousness is never in sight nor is flaccid progression; just ruthless, raw and rabid fukkin’ metal. Turn it up, get evil, destroy! The clock is ticking and this is your call to arms to wound all falses in your path with an apocalyptic soundtrack of sadistic pandemonium. More nasty riffs, pummelling drums, pick-slides, snarls and screams than you could ask for your money – only death is real.

So there we have it, this was a bestial and rabid listen of nuclear metallic hell. I really enjoyed this ferocious and unwieldy opus that deserves a listen for underground maniacs seeking blackened death thrashing fury. The touches of Celtic Frost and Slaughter in their sound definitely made it a bit more interesting and the whole thing is a blistering siege of savagery and torment. A nuclear payload of debauchery and abhorrence.