Old Wounds The Suffering Spirit

Barely in their 20s, New Jersey hardcore band Old Wounds turned heads with their 2013 debut From Where We Came is Where We’ll Rest, an album that burned with the intensity of classic ‘90s hardcore like Deadguy and contemporary crossover geniuses Converge. Two years layer, they’re set to release The Suffering Spirit, which broadens the band’s sound even more, employing more cleanly sung melodies and streamlined, gothic-tinged arrangements without compromising the music’s intensity one iota. Featuring maniacal vocal work by Kevin Ivaroni and an astonishing drum performance by Brandon Gallagher, this is easily one of the better hardcore releases of the year so far.

“We began writing The Suffering Spirit after completing two tours around the release of the Death Projection EP last December,” says Gallagher. “Prior to writing this record, I don’t think we worked on new songs in over a year so a lot of ideas came pouring out. We ended up writing almost 18 songs, cutting it down to 12 when we got to the studio, and kept 11 for the record. Choosing Andreas Magnusson to record these songs was honestly one of the best decisions we could have made. His direction really comes through sonically and I think it fits extremely well. We couldn’t be more excited to release this record and start playing these songs live.”

1. Rest in Piss
2. Never Sleep Again
3. Actual Nothing
4. The Secret Song at the Center of the World
5. Heaven is a Memory
6. Son of No One
7. On Leather Wings
8. Vampyr
9. Moral Hex
10. Where Flowers Grow
11. Desecrate