ALBUM REVIEW: Worm – Foreverglade

Floridian Death-Doom swamp-lurkers WORM are back with their 3rd album of putridity. Set for release via 20 Buck Spin on October 22nd. Read my review of their excellent previous album “Gloomlord” HERE.

Introducing themselves with the appropriately gloomy “Foreverglade” which features booming, reverberate drums and guitars that spin a charnel web of funereal and cavernous soundscapes, this is certainly an atmospheric undertaking, especially when coupled with eerie synths. Snarling vocals and chunky bass lines cut through the monolithic drumming and vibrant riffs to thunderously call forth the abyss in unison with a damp production that echoes the odious ambience gorgeously. Blundering forwards, the eldritch sombreness gives with to pounding rhythms which further descent into depravity with sewer-dwelling grotesqueries of sonic delight. Meandering between swampy hooks and morbid crawls, the doomy and yet vicious Death Metal is absurdly heavy with an intensity that improved upon their already impressive sophomore album to deliver something diabolical that leaves a cosmic sludge in its wake. Additionally the instrumentation itself has vastly improved, the triumphant sweeping solos for example contain some serious chops that weirdly suit the murky songs in spite of their more traditionally Heavy Metal delivery, something that I appreciate ands adds grandeur and more dynamic to the extremity at hand.

Drearily soldiering forth, the album has that excellent ability to remain sombre and dismal, yet does not lack energy and overall heaviness. The often barbaric primality of the playing when not favouring flourishing outbursts feels urgent and the juxtaposed magnificence of some beautiful soloing work to truly add flavour to the record. Keeping things savage and yet also often refined is incredibly hard, especially when such a heavy focus on atmosphere is present, but Worm triumph and their risks certainly pay off. This gives us an incredibly varied and yet linear manner that takes some mysterious and forgotten pathways before returning to the quest at hand. The burgeoning morbidity coupled with ghastly and ethereal leads creates something truly spectacular, a concoction of the macabre that is well-thought out and yet has the filthy putridity that one would ask for from underground Death Metal. The way crashing cymbals underline stunningly melodic Doom Metal moments on songs like “Cloaked In Nightwinds” is evocative and powerful and then we venture further into the intensely foreboding yet crushingly heavy latter half with a smooth transition.

“Empire Of The Necromancers” is a fine example of a more traditional Heavy Metal method of delivering their spectral sounds. It could easily be a Death Metal variation on a lost King Diamond track! This is potentially the highest complement I can give as it is famously difficult to make those more traditional elements work in such an extreme context. These moments tie together in a fashion most wonderful to behold and allow the more standard Death Metal elements, as great as they are, to be elevated into new (yet ancient) territories by the sheer diversity and complexity that Worm employ. This could easily sound like pompous waffle, but the truly awe-inspiring nature of the music commands such praise. Their understanding of finesse is brilliant, yet never obnoxious, this remains a putrid cut of meaty Death-Doom throughout, just one with more to it than mere heaviness alone. A bold, explorative and expansive example of how much ground Death Metal can traverse and how unique it can be while honouring the ways of old to the fullest extent. A perfect example of this would be closing the album on a cavernous masterpiece that aside from the usual instrumental glory, includes sitar.

A supremely powerful, sepulchral and mysterious record that takes the foundations of its predecessor into unfathomable new territories. This album is brimming with eldritch mystique, brooding sombreness and a sinister darkness which is conveyed with brutality but also a gracefulness that is to be commended. A truly inspiring and vibrant undertaking that is absolutely spectacular.