ALBUM REVIEW: Wormed

Technical death metal is a genre with complex and intricate guitar solos, dynamic playing and pacing, along with unmatched speed. Spain's Wormed are a band that delivers all of that with a tinge of futuristic lyrical themes and theories on astrophysics and human evolution. With the band's new album Omegon, the band returns after a eight year hiatus from the band's third album Krighsu. After a stellar year in 2023 being a dominant year for death metal releases, does Wormed continue the trend of solid, technical and punishing death metal?

The album opens with the song "Automaton Virtulague". Out the gate, the song opens with the punishing brutal vocals of Phlegeton and chugging guitars from Migueloud & D-Kazar. Reminding me of Brodequin in its pounding and aggressive heaviness. Drummer V-Kazar flies all over the kit throughout the track in technical proficiency. With manic drums fills and intermittent double bass pacing which adds to the progressive and technical elements of their sound. A heavy and driving track to show the band still has the chops and hasn't lost a step in their hiatus. Following that track is "Pareidolia Robotica". V-Kazar is a highlight of the track with the Flo Mournier-like drumming. Another track that just doesn't give the listener reprieve in its sonic onslaught and brutality in the guitar playing and drumming. We get atmospheric moments around the two minute mark, adding depth and progressive death metal vibes to the track, before returning to the unforgiving brutal breakdown and dynamic drumming.

"Protogod" is another gurgling vocal heavy piece. Drums and guitars syncopate in harmony throughout the verse breaks and you begin to hear Guillemoth's bass at certain parts. Adding depth and low-end to the brutality of the guitars. There is a nice, little guitar solo section during one of the verses, adding some uniqueness to the song. I love the guitar and drum combo section at the two minute mark, with some unique playing. With almost mini-drum rolls in-between the chugs, giving a bounce/jazz like feel. The heavy as hell break down around the closing of the song builds and builds as it intensifies to an atmospheric and ominous feeling. This is probably my favorite track off the album.

"Pleoverse Ominertia" opens with an almost breakdown like intro, before the band punches the gas pedal and the speed intensifies. The manic pacing of the song is frantic and heavy, with guitars slowing down while the drums speed up and vice versa. The whole song is almost one solid breakdown with the brutal gutturals of Phlegeton. Ambience returns throughout the chaos of the drumming and chugs near the three quarters mark, giving me a Blood Incantation vibe, and it works. On "Malignant Nexus", we get ominous and dread in the guitars, creating an almost cinematic and haunting opening. A short, almost interlude track, the song shows the band can build suspense and darkness in their sound. Even if its under two minutes. Following that is "Virtual Teratogensis". With an almost old school death metal guitar riff into the band's technical guitar riffage, the song has a bounce and sway amidst the unrelenting brutality in the vocals and drumming. Pinch harmonics amongst the chugs adds that break in the mold and adds some change up to the band's sound so far. The riff makes me instantly headbang along to it. Definitely giving off a slam death metal vibe you would get off of early Suffocation in it's chugging, caveman-style heaviness.

"Aetheric Transdimensionalization" continues incorporating that slam death metal sound in its opening with V-Kazar again trying to hit every drum on his kit in under thirty seconds. A more mid-tempo guitar pacing, but added by Guillemoth's bass peaking through the dirge of the heavy chugging guitar. Migueloud & D-Kazar are riff machines and showing off their guitar playing the most on the track. Chaotic pacing and complex guitar sections throughout the entire runtime. Along with guitar effects and chugging breakdown sections, this is their track to shine on. Next is "Gravitational Servo Matrix". Phlegeton sounds his most guttural. The band is just all guns blazing on the track, going non-stop with it's heaviness and brutality throughout the song. I was windmill headbanging during the brutal breakdown into the dueling guitar solo around the minute forty mark, God that section is AWESOME! The song brings the crushing weight of itself near the close of the track. Delivering a unrelenting and unmatched sonic devastation. The album closes with the album's title track. Opening with heavily reverb and distorted atmospheric guitars, it creates an uneasy feeling and creepy ambience before the rest of the band joins in. The band shows off their musical proficiency with the impressive complexity of their playing. Through the whole seven plus minute closer, Wormed just pummels the listener with it's heaviness and speed, while adding atmosphere near the halfway mark and for the rest of the track. Closing out an album that fans will be happy with and making the wait that much more worth it.

Overall, Wormed returned and delivered an album that was a heavy and punishingly brutal & technical album. The songs were good overall, but I feel like they were missing something or just needed that little touch to make them perfect in my opinion. Maybe some more synth/industrial pieces from their previous record. Like the synth/brass section from "Eukaryotic Hex Swarm", from their last album Krighsu for example, might have been what I think would have been that "closing touch". Even the style of synth effects you'd hear on a Nocturnus AD album would put their sound over the top and add dynamics and depth in its brutality. Death metal fans will be happy with this record since it has a little something for everybody. From fast paced and complex drumming, chugging guitars and guttural vocals, this is a great record and hopefully Wormed won't keep fans waiting eight more years for the next album.

SCORE: 8.5 / 10