Tag Archives: karl simon

Underground Sounds: Wretch – Wretch

Label: Bad Omen Records
Band: Wretch
Country: United States

Losing friends is a sad thing and sometimes it can be extremely hard to get over that. When you lose a friend who’s a band member, I can only imagine how much stronger that bond may be. Not to trivialise friendship, but band members share time together like no other. Jason McCash and Karl Simon shared that for a good decade in The Gates of Slumber. McCash left the band in 2013 and soon after passed away following a heroin overdose (according to metal archives).

So this album is catharsis, it’s grief in musical form. Gone are the stories of swords and sorcery, this is about the grim reality. It’s Karl Simon picking up the pieces and continuing down the road of amazing doom metal albums with this new outfit Wretch. The artwork instantly screams that old school doom vibe at you and that’s what you get.

Opener ‘Running Out of Days’  is a tribute to J. McCash and opens with those gargantuan Sabbath riffs, making you instantly get into the groove of this band and (if you like) bang your head to it. There’s something really down to earth to the sound of the band though. It’s not striving for grandeur, but for something real. Slowly the riffs roll by and a thundering rhythm section vigorously fills the void around the vocals of Simon, which are laden with emotion.

There’s something tormented to the way Simon delivers his vocals. After the initial venting on the first two tracks, the following seems to wind down and go into an almost psychedelic, spacy direction. Spiralling guitar parts and dreamy vocals form a much more convincing and warm sound from the group. There’s even an interesting instrumental track, titled ‘Grey Cast Mourning’, that surprises the listener with its gentle nature.

Closing the album, we return to the traditional doom roots. With its iconic cover and great tracks, this is one to stick with you. Hopefully Karl Simon feels like unleashing some more tunes on the world.