Pestilential Shadows – Wretch (Review)

This is the eighth album from Australian black metal band Pestilential Shadows.

For such a long-running band this is my first encounter with Pestilential Shadows. Wretch caught my eye though, with its 48 minutes of material that satisfies my taste for all things old-school black metal.

Wretch is an album of classic black metal, well-forged, with a mixture of infernal atmosphere and icy aggression. The Scandinavian second wave is the obvious reference point, delivered in the traditional style, but not exclusively so. The album is infused with a surprising amount of dark energy that courses through its blackened veins. The music has such an authentically 90s feel, despite having a more contemporary feel in places. Wretch is firmly and convincingly rooted in the 90s, yet manages to avoid sounding stale or dulled through overfamiliarity. This is a credit to the band’s songcraft, as within such a well-worn style they have found ways to breathe fresh life into this frosted cadaver.

The music is raw and cold, but without sacrificing clarity of expression or depth of atmosphere. It has a perfect sound for the material; everything comes across strongly, and you can even hear the bass. Wretch is an accomplished record, from both a production and songwriting viewpoint, and Pestilential Shadows realise their blackened vision without sacrificing a certain underground charm and appeal.

The songs are effortlessly engaging to listen to and enjoy. I’ll return to the theme of strong songwriting again, as this is a significant feature of Wretch; the songs just work. Wretch is frozen solid, yet still manages to move with a predator’s grace. This should be a paradox, but Pestilential Shadows somehow resolve it without issue. Who knows what dark magicks have gone into the making of Wretch, and what fell bargains have been made?

The music bleeds malevolent auras and conjures windswept night sky atmospheres. The songs attack with grim serrated bite, while immersing the listener with melancholic melodies that never fail to evoke a reaction. Importantly, Pestilential Shadows achieve this not only to consistently high levels of quality, but by also adding a certain flavour all of their own. Another asset that Wretch is endowed with is a greater amount of diversity than you might be expecting, albeit within the style’s recognisable framework. Different paces, melodies, riffs, and textures abound, allowing each song to shape itself individually in the listener’s mind over time. Also notable is the song Where Sunlight Goes to Die, which boasts the remarkable clean singing of the artist behind Midnight Odyssey.

Pestilential Shadows have impressed. Wretch succeeds in taking the classic black metal style and rendering it in 2025 with skill, confidence, and personality. Where so many albums like this can be enjoyable, but ultimately blur into the background, Wretch has made its mark on my psyche, and I am looking forward to exploring its Hellish depths ever deeper moving forward.

Very highly recommended.