Review: “Wounds” by Colossus

Not to be confuses with several other bands who have chosen to go by the name Colossus, the Gainsville Florida incarnation declare themselves to be a Doom fuelled, Sludge infused Hardcore quartet consisting of drummer Danny Michael, bassist Scott Hoben, guitarist Jon Patton and vocalist guitarist Lonnie J Buchanan. Engineered by the aforementioned Jon Patton in the warehouse, the bands first demo is a three track EP titled “Wounds” and if the cover artwork is anything to go by, then their sound will mirror the name as a beast of immense size and power… cue evil laughter…

Introducing themselves with the title track “Wounds“, Colossus offer a melancholic riff that grows from ember to inferno with influences from Buzzoven, My Ruin and Eyehategod pouring through the cracks in their concrete. The fierce, gravelly vocals from Buchanan are the single heavies element as the cymbals crash around them, the earworm nature of the guitar work injecting that sombre note to make dark tale sour, gritty and oh so real. While the band claim Hardcore as part of their sound, that’s largely due to the repeating rhythmic patterns and brevity of these tracks, each one a short sharp shock that feels like you tried to jump an electric fence and failed miserably. The longest of the four tunes is “Pox“, a slower more punishing affair with down tuned buzzsaw riffs that flirt with Noise Metal sounds as Buchanan roars over the stompy grooves. On this one the drum sound feels a little more rough in places, as if the band recorded the parts live on the floor of the rehearsal space. In many ways that adds a charm, the repeating lyrical phrasing adding a chant-able quality to the occult ritual that is going to go down well live. “So What” increases the intensity and tempo with a little Hardcore Punk in the riff department, calling for spin kickers in the pit. It may not be a colossus, monolithic or the sound of planets colliding but all in all this record is the kind of debut that leaves you saying “Please Sirs can I have some more?” [7/10]

Track Listing

1. Wounds
2. Pox
3. So What

“Wounds” by Colossus is out 7th February 2026 and available over at bandcamp