Album Review: Worm - Necropalace
Reviewed by Sam Jones
Dream Unending, Worm have risen to many people’s priorities whenever a new release is inbound and today is no different. Formed in 2012 out of Florida, United States, the band’s sound was originally much more feral and raw and steeped in traditional black metal, but time has seen band-creator Phantom Slaughter take on a widening array of styles to craft extreme metal that’s as broad as their releases. Though the crux of their sound has remained Worm have never performed and recorded the same album twice, which is why Necropalace is such a curiosity. The upcoming album, due February 13th through Century Media Recods, is the band’s first album in five years but appears to lean towards symphonic black metal than any previous work. With more than an hour of material I dove head first into Necropalace to discern how their shifting sound impacted this release.
With an introductory track sporting synthesisers and glorious guitar tracks torn straight out of an early 1990s black metal release, Necropalace immediately sets the stage for what audiences should be listening in for. Worm’s affinity towards writing elongated, dense tracks is well documented and throwing us into the ten minute title track showcases not only this fact but Worm’s confidence regarding their songwriting. Most bands wouldn’t commit to such a thing especially when an altered approach song songwriting is teased. However, the change in Worm’s sound is evident, it slaps you across the face. The doom element identifiable across the band’s previous works has been almost totally abandoned and that blackened aesthetic has moved in with strength.
The guitar work hits like a train but owing to the greater emphasis on black metal, their riffs possess a lighter tone allowing for that visceral sound to find us with ease. But you’ll find that as riffs play on, they’re consistently reinforced by the synthesisers and the general ambient element coursing through Necropalace at any given moment. In this respect, Necropalace is amongst Worm’s most atmospherically immersive works to date since there’s rarely ever an instance when the background falls away. The cerebral guitar playing still comes into play, demonstrating the innate talent behind the band and one of the greatest selling points behind worm instrumentally speaking.
There are moments when the songwriting utilises morose sections, underlying the band’s past doom influences, however this is the case only when Necropalace’s songwriting assumes a notably slower tempo outside what Worm otherwise vie for here. Their songwriting proves able to continually shake things up however the impact of chords, coming down upon us, doesn’t shift as much mass should the songwriting slow. In this manner, an audience isn’t going to feel surprised by Necropalace’s concluding acts since it’ll feel identical to how it started. It doesn’t help that the mix feels disconnected; the guitar and ambience is a key feature in Worm’s music but I couldn’t tell you to what effect the drums really had here. I know they’re there, I know they’ve been played but I couldn’t tell you what influence they’ve imparted into the record that would be lost had they not been there at all. Only when blast beats or significant bass drums roll out do the drums emphasise their presence.
What I will say however is Necropalace champions this dreamlike quality where their songwriting assumes an ethereal, spectral semblance. Listening to Necropalace is akin to putting your ear to the gravestone and wondering what ls on the other side. “Dragon Dreams” is proof of this notion and is where I felt like I began to understand Worm’s intention with Necropalace; I may not actively enjoy this record as much as their previous works but Necropalace is certainly going to have its fans, for those inclined towards symphonic black metal. The overall impact their songwriting has may be less pronounced but it’s been substituted with stronger attention towards atmosphere. Whether that works for the listener in the moment is entirely up to subjective opinions.
In conclusion, I think Necropalace will be looked at in hindsight as a band attempting something they’ve had on their minds for a while, fusing aspects of their recent works with music that kickstarted their career. Truth be told I think Necropalace, while still being a quality album, is a misstep for the band given how removed it is from Gloomlord, Foreverglade, Bluenothing and so on. I understand this is what the band wanted to experiment with but I do not believe it is where their strength lies. I didn’t find myself connecting so strongly with this record even though the quality is there for those it’ll likely appeal to. I think the best way of describing Necropalace is that it wasn’t for me, though at the same time I hope we return to what adorned so many to Worm in the first place.
