WRETCHED FATE hailing from Orsa, Sweden were formed in 2016. They are a traditional Death Metal band. So far, they released two full-length albums. Their first EP “Incineration Of The Pious” was produced and mixed by guitarist Mats Andersson, and mastered by Dan Swanö (ASPHYX; INCANTATION; MARDUK) at Unisound Studio. It has a length of almost 22 minutes, and it was released via US Death Metal specialists Redefining Darkness Records. No official video was released yet.

The EP has a strong start with the opening track “With Ashen Breath”. It is a head-banger with blast-beat attacks and plenty of double-bass drumming. The guitar riffing is punishing, and the sound is based on the typical Swedish Death Metal chainsaw guitars. The melodies are grim, and the vocals are growls, which vary between the deep and medium end of the guttural range. The title song continues with the sound at the start of the track, but after a short guitar intro, it all develops into a frantic track at blistering pace with plenty of tempo and rhythm twists. The guitar riffs are thunderous at times and devastating. There is a lot of complexity in the song structure. The break leads to a short but contributing lead guitar solo. “Incineration Of The Pious” is one of the EP highlights. “Callous Mutilation Grandeur” starts with a dark guitar intro, leading into the verse part at crazy pace. The guitar riffing is again punishing and tight, and the melodies are blood-freezing. There are twists and turns in tempo and rhythm, and occasionally the sound is enhanced with short blast-beat attacks.

The second part of the EP is devoted to cover songs of some Death Metal classics. The first one is the MORBID ANGEL track “Dominate” from the 1995 album “Domination”. It is an interesting version, and WRETCHED FATE did an excellent job in transforming the Floridan Death Metal sound into the typical WRETCHED FATE Death Metal sound. “Like Fire” is a BLOODBATH cover from the “Resurrection Through Carnage” album released in 2002, and the WRETCHED FATE version sounds very authentic. The last one is the NIHILIST cover of “Abnormality Deceased”, which was released on their demo from 1989 “Only Shreds Remain”. I personally like this one most, as NIHILIST were one of the sound defining bands of Swedish Death Metal, and the cover is for me something like a modern time travel to those exciting days in the late 80s.

WRETCHED FATE deliver traditional Swedish Death Metal sound. “Incineration Of The Pious” is punishing and evil, driven by the relentless chainsaw sound of the guitars. As much as I enjoyed listening to the covers, I would have loved to hear one or two more original songs. The EP is well produced. If “Incineration Of The Pious” is meant to be a teaser for a new full-length album, fans of traditional Swedish Death Metal have something to look forward to.