Wounded - Til the End

Not to be confused with THE Wounded from the Netherlands, WOUNDED hail from mid west Sweden, and until early 1999 were perhaps better known as Nosferatu, showing Gothic tendencies in the vein of Type O Negative and the like.
So naturally I was very interested to hear the "new sound"... and then somewhat perturbed. So they are no longer a Goth band... but I'm unable to offer a suggestion as to the style they now portray. After all, when an album intially sounds like a Symphonic Metal album a la Nightwish and the like, it becomes a most confusing listening experience when rap enters the mix and suddenly it sounds like a weak and watery Linkin Park!



As a long standing fan of traditional rock music, I have to say that the only track on here that made any sense was Pretty. Wow, killer song, if you like low down dirty rock that makes you want to get wasted in a bar with dirty women (or men!) and a bad bottle of whiskey. And I do. It has no place whatsoever on this album - but you should buy the album for this track if you love to rock. If you're looking for the former Nosferatu, then seek them in the mists of the past, when their aim was true and the challenge was not to guess the next generic sweetie, but to plumb the depths of darkness. An interesting titbit is a cover of Depeche Mode's Stripped, which is adequate but unexciting. Bring back Dave Gahan, is what I say.



I don't know where Wounded are going. Nor, I suspect, do they. Until they find a musical style with which they feel confident, then their music cannot progress. The production on this CD and the playing were excellent, so now they should consolidate their skills by songwriting in a way that makes sense and will offer something identifiable to their fan base, to take or leave as required. No-one is fooled by an album which tries to fit all, when a band's courage and commitment should be shown by their creative choice and not their ability to play every style that may grab a fan or two. This band needs to find its confidence - and I hope it finds it in a low down dirty bar, sharing a glass or two with the rest of us!