I’m quickly becoming a very big fan of Sergio Gonzalez Catalan, the owner of the new Chilean label Tragedy Productions.  Already having 2 killer releases under their belt that will be on my year end list. One is Numeron’s Road to Valhalla and the other is one of his many solo projects, Winds of Tragedy and their Hating Life album. And now,  and this release also which will be vying to be on my year-end this, is also a solo project of Catalan’s, also with super despondent depressing themes – My Dearest Wound.

Now, like Winds of Tragedy, the PR material lists this as depressive black metal, but like that band, it’s a bit misleading, as this isn’t slow, depressive, suicidal, doomy black metal, but like Winds of Tragedy, a burlier take on black metal and certainly comes from the same morose mind of Catalan. The dude needs some happiness in his life.

Now admittedly, when I play bands side by side, there is little difference. But it’s there. Despite having the same throaty roar, burlier guitar tone, and penance for some truly emotional, evocative riffs and atmospheres. My Deepest Wound seems to have a more deeply personal theme relative to Catalan’s life experiences, and the use of some keyboards and some truly upsetting samples make things even more despondent than Winds of Tragedy, which seemed a little more rage-filled.

The superbly melodic, yet often still harrowing use of atmospheric tremolo-picked riffs is certainly Catalan’s strong point here, as it is on Winds of Tragedy. He really does have a knack for this style of riffs akin to Vallendusk, but sadder and a little heftier and more somber than triumphant.

Starting with “When Did I Die?” you get lengthy tracks that drip with tangible deep seeded pain and has the first of a few female voice samples from movies and TV shows (not sure of all the samples’ origins, one is from a TV show called ‘The OA’?), that hit you to the bone.  In particular the next track  “End it All”. Along with the absolutely killer, knee-wilting riff in the track’s final throes, the acoustic bridge/crying sample is on par with the Prozac Nation sample from Shining’s “Låt Oss Ta Allt Från Varandra”. (I absolutely abhor samples like that, they are sooo fucking effective).

“Annihilator” starts with another sample before exploding into a fiercely morose blast beat and rages for the next 7 minutes before “A Thousand Goodbyes” delivers a more traditional despondent doomy black gait and pace for its first few minutes. But as with Winds of Tragedy and this project, Catalan soon locks into a killer melodically despondent riff, this time backed by some almost normal symphonic black metal synths and some gorgeous strings….. and another gut punch of a sample- which sounds a lot like the Prozac nation/Shining sample mentioned above.

“We Don’t Believe in Happiness” again, treads death-doom territory for its first half before yet another absolutely stunning riff, and more blackened synths (which appear a lot more in the album’s late stages), and the album wraps up with “Dreams” and “Life Was Pain” where you can see the formula (slow/atmospheric intro, sample, killer emotional blast beat, some synths) Catalan uses being a little too familiar…..but oh so heart rendingly effective.

When you put this, Winds of Tragedy, Numeron, and the upcoming Lord of Shadows (a side project featuring  Aaron Stainthorpe from My Dying Bride and Sojourner members) together, Catalan himself and the label are having quite the year as he and the label have planted themselves firmly on the international music map in 2023.

[Visit the band's website]

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