From the Florida swamps comes WORM. I’m kinda partial to all things wormy. These guys have a logo that looks like an explosive diarrhea incident, but their sound is extremely cool and unique. It’s very icky sounding death/doom, but mixed with curious touches like psychedelic guitar freakouts, cavernous organ and synth detours…even some Gregorian chants. A name that comes to mind in comparison is Australia’s DISEMBOWELMENT, but these guys are more purely sick.
Six tracks here, ranging from three and a half minutes to an 11 minute plus Magnum Opus. The title track starts with the twangy minor key guitar associated with DISEMBOWELMENT, but it isn’t long before the gooey, oozing death metal kicks in, complete with horrific growls from Phantom Slaughter. This band has a keen ability to keep things deathly and doomly but know just when to put in a creepy synthscape or Gothic organ…listen to ‘Empire Of The Necromancers’ and ‘Centuries Of Ooze’ for proof. The soundscapes and minor, subdued guitar digressions are just as entrancing as the metallic elements. A lot of bands can’t get both right, but WORM does.
Another recent band treading the same swampy mulch is WHARFLURCH, but WORM is superior with their clever song construction and constant feeling of oppressive murk. This is a trip to the Foreverglade that would make even a bull gator nervous…
Review By: Dr. Abner Mality
WORM
Foreverglade
20 Buck Spin
4.5 / 6