Album Review: Saltwound – The Temptation of Pain (SharpTone Records)

Saltwound, the uncompromisingly brutal and chaotic hybrid of deathcore and metalcore, will release their new album, ‘The Temptation of Pain’, on November 1st, 2024, via SharpTone Records.

As brutal as ever, as furious as always, and dynamic through and through, Saltwound are back and while The Temptation of Pain might be pleasing for its aggressiveness, what really puts a smile on the face is the clear fact that Saltwound are moving forward. They’ve never sounded this good, and you can tell they’ve put a lot of effort into making this the most realised version of the band.

What really makes this important though is that the heaviness, the kind that makes your knees tremble, is enhanced and given even more oomph. Which, bearing in mind who we’re listening too, should give you heart palpations. Saltwound’s sound is drawn from the worlds of metalcore and deathcore, but they slam them together to create something even more garishly wicked and addictive. It is not hyperbole to say that this album hurts, regardless of the speed and power of each blow.

Which makes a whole ton of sense when you consider the themes of this album relate to being attracted to things that cause you pain and suffering.

The fangs are on show from the very start, even as Saltwound take a methodical approach to this album’s introduction, We All Burn. Call it the ‘calm before the storm’, even though it’s a mightily tumultuous track, because what follows is a hurricane of chaotic viciousness in the form of Blight, Empty from the Start, and Circle the Drain. The cherry on top of all this violence? That it is all impressively infectious too. You’ll want to hear more.

More like the title track, which has guitars that skulk with vicious intent and vocals that spit venom directly into the brain. More like Hollow, one of the album’s most hostile tracks thanks to its disorienting style, and more like Walking the Blade, which freshens the album up with some notable melody, albeit warped by a continuation of Saltwound’s bristling intensity.

This focus stays in place right up to the end of the album too. The Righteous Hand, Ensnared, and Severance confirming this as a contender for most brutal album of the year. Saltwound promised a more cohesive record, and that is what they’ve delivering. It just so happens to be a delivery that comes with a black eye and a busted lip. The things we do for love…

Saltwound – The Temptation of Pain Track Listing:

1. We All Burn
2. Blight
3. Empty From the Start
4. Circle The Drain
5. The Temptation of Pain
6. Hollow
7. Walking The Blade
8. The Righteous Hand
9. Ensnared
10. Severance

Links

LinkTree | Facebook | Instagram