Worm deal in the kind of metal that sounds like it has risen from a crypt somewhere, doused in primeval melodic doom, and educated in Fulci movies. Heavy riffs, met with moments of creepy tension, with songs that unfold their horrors progressively.
Worm’s necromantic black doom as they like to call it is a stunning variant on the death doom genre, and musically you won’t hear a tighter album played this year. With tracks stretching beyond the 10 minute mark, they never outstay their welcome and always seek to hit heady heights. The guitar playing is exemplary with solos in particular forming the centrepiece of the album.
Highlights are plenty, with ‘Dragon Dreams’ standing out as a moment where the album lifts from interesting to great. It’s an immersive listen, and although you can spot many of the genre tropes (including a hefty dose of black metal), it’s the sheer panache in which it’s delivered which informs it. You could state a case for over the top theatrics and to be honest, you would be correct, but that’s to miss the full joy of what you are listening too. In all its creepy, unbridled encompassing of doom, the over the top aspects are measured perfectly to keep you listening attentively.
For those looking for that classic metal experience, Necropalace is a throwback to all those albums of old. Remember how excited you was to hear Helloween’s Keeper Of The Seven Keys, or King Diamond’s Abigail? Heavy music, yet full of melody and stories, Worm form part of that tradition with Necropalace being another fine addition to the pantheon.
