Chicago trio Oozing Wound grew out of the Windy City noise/experimental scene and apply that specific harshness to their caustic blend of crossover, thrash, NWOBHM, and sludge. They applied the lawless ethos of that scene to their aggressive take on metal, throwing in generous amounts of attitude and acerbic social commentary on relentlessly ripping albums like 2016's Whatever Forever and 2023's We Cater to Cowards.

Oozing Wound was formed in 2013 by guitarist/vocalist Zack Weil, bassist Kevin Cribbin, and drummer Kyle Reynolds. All three members had ties to local noise and difficult music currents, having played with underground acts like Cacaw, ZATH, and Bad Drugs. They quickly began playing around town and before the year was up, they released their debut album, the sci-fi-minded, Matt Russell-engineered Retrash. The LP's searing blend of face-melting aggression and offbeat lyrics drew acclaim from both the metal and noise-rock communities. They drew similar accolades for 2014's Earth Suck, and for their much-anticipated third studio outing, the trio headed to Minbal Studios in Chicago, again with Russell behind the board. The resulting Whatever Forever dropped in October 2016. For their next full-length, the band worked at Chicago's famed Electrical Audio studio with engineer Gregoire Yeche. They experimented with new arrangement techniques for these sessions, mixing saxophone, flute, and synthesizer sounds deep into their decidedly metallic compositions. The resultant seven songs were released in 2019 as High Anxiety, a sonic assault with equally scathing lyrical attacks on the music industry, climate change deniers, and the more idiotic segments of humanity in general. The anxiety continued in 2023 on fifth album We Cater to Cowards, where Oozing Wound's sharp societal criticism, bludgeoning riffs, and moments of dark humor are present as always, and the band experimented further with unexpected instrumentation and twisting song structures. ~ James Christopher Monger