Wretched at Masquerade on August 28

Victory Records’ recording artist Wretched are a band that, while on their third release, might not have the name recognition that other melodic death metal bands have, but that doesn’t deny their ferocity or musical prowess. Touring and playing live are the only tangible ways to grow an audience, so the band has been hard at work on the road; paying their dues and winning over fans city by city. Touring to support their third full-length release Sons Of Perdition, Wretched stopped in to Masquerade on August 28 in Atlanta – along with the Metal Blade bands Abiotic, Allegaeon and Rivers of Nihil for a night of skull-crushing death metal.

As the pre-recorded intro faded, Wretched began the night with “Dilated Dissapointment” from Sons Of Perdition. Front man Adam Cody performs like a man possessed, seemingly shredding his vocals cords while performing his “death growl” on songs such as “My Carrion” and “Karma Accomplished.” Other songs included in their set were “A Preservation of Mortality” and “Still Mantra.”

Fleet-fingered guitarists Steven Funderburk and Joel Moore had a chance to showcase their chops during an extended instrumental, which led into the horrifically titled set closer “Fetal Consumption” from the band’s 2009 debut The Exodus of Autonomy.

The appreciative crowd, who tirelessly slammed and moshed their way through just about the entire show, began a “one more song” chant and what do you know…the band actually put their instruments back on and performed a true encore: “Birthing Sloth” from 2010‘s Beyond The Gate. Kudos to the band for providing that last burst of energy, as true encores are rarely seen these days.

With the right touring schedule, solidified line-up and continued hard work, Wretched will undoubtedly find a broader audience in the metal community in the years to come.