Irish noise merchants Wounds have been doing the rounds for a while at their own pace, and ‘Die Young’ sees them take a step up to the plate in a big way.
Largely, ‘Die Young’, is great. It’s full of vitriol, great riffs and dominating vocals from Aidan Coogan, and fans of bands like The James Cleaver Quintet and Cancer Bats should feel comfortable despite a more bluesy edge to the band’s sound. Despite the fact that the recording hasn’t quite got the energy of their live show down, it will be perfect for getting people out the shows in the first place – and that’s where the album’s biggest success lies.
The standout tracks on the album are ‘Dead Dead Fucking Dead’, ‘Trouble For The Sake Of It’ and ‘Choke’, and because of this the album actually feels a little top heavy at first. Coupled with the fact that ‘Dead Road’ is a lumbering closer that almost pushes the album to outstaying its welcome initially, and ‘Die Young’ turns into something that requires a few a listens before it clicks.
When it does click though, it clicks in a big way. ‘Die Young’ has all the balls you’d ever want from a rising band, and everything here screams hunger and passion. Wounds have a bright future, and despite a few minor flaws, ‘Die Young’ sets them on a fine path.
TOM AYLOTT