Album Review: Ghorot – Wound (Lay Bare Recordings / Transylvanian Records / King Of The Mountain Records)

Idaho based blackened doom trio Ghorot will release their new album ‘Wound’ on October 6th, 2023, via Lay Bare Recordings, Transylvanian Records, and King of the Mountain Records.

The bleakest of sounds, Ghorot’s experimental mix of abrasive noise, suffocating doom, and blackened heaviness is misery incarnate. What they deliver on Wound is disconcerting and challenging, but it is mesmerising.

Epic lengths for each track, Dredge showcases just how devastating Ghorot’s combination of blackened heaviness and filthy doom is. Yet, as it goes on, the elaboration in the instrumentation and the way in which the vocals add punctuation, makes the track even stronger. Yes, it’s harsh and it’s very heavy, but it oozes through the mind nicely, particularly the latter portion.

In Asentia follows that wicked opener with some effective noise elements and hard rocking groove, before descending into really dark and doomy depths. Then things really get horrible sounding (in a very good way) with Corsican Leather. Here Ghorot simmer their sound to perfection, working in dramatic melody, and switching the tempos up with ease. It’s one of the more intense tracks on the album, even if it’s not necessarily the heaviest.

That award goes to the Canyon Lands, mainly because it is such a deep and detailed trawl through the creative mind and processes of Ghorot, and when they hit, they hit extremely hard. This track is arguably the most impressive on an album that features not a single second of waste. Which is incredible when you consider this track is over nine minutes in length.

How do you top that? Well, in Ghorot’s case, you don’t, but you come bloody close with the nightmarish and primordial horror that is Neanderskull. Once again, a fascinating showcase of instrumental invention. It might be doomy as all hell, but there’s no lethargy to be found here.

Ghorot – Wound Track Listing:

1. Dredge
2. In Asentia
3. Corsican Leather
4. Canyon Lands
5. Neanderskull

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