Album Review: Woorms – Fatalismo
Reviewed by Neil Bolton
From the humid banks of the Mississippi U.S.A., covered in sludge, and steeped in stoner rock, Woorms have returned with a third album 'Fatalismo'. This album was envisaged in a 1500 mile drive to support the band Today is the Day in Ohio, where front man Steve Austin joined Woorms onstage for a song. A connection was made and the boys found themselves in Austin’s compound in Northern Maine to record this collection of sludgy songs.
The first of this collection is the humorously named 'Seizure Salad'. A stoner crunch flows from the speakers bringing gruff but comprehensible vocals, leading to a doomy rhythm that plays out nicely and effectively. The mood is mellow but heavy with a haunting, even distracting, sound effect that resides in the latter half of the track; it mixes well with the three instruments of the band seeing this song to its conclusion.
The next track 'Quiet as Isaac' begins with an ominous beat. This beat then flows into a fabulous bass riff, a riff that is as dirty as it is warm. Once more Joey Carbo’s vocals sit well in the perfectly mixed tune with the head bobbing riff being the strong foundation to this track. Aaron Polk’s drums are calm and measured, but always interesting and sharp. A musical breakdown sits at the tail end of this magnificent tune, bringing a happy grin to the listener.
A jazzy intro sees the afore mentioned Steve Austin take additional vocals on 'This is Nothing Short of Character Assassination'. The atmosphere is continued even though the tone of the tune is slightly different. Different is good, this is no way a band who feels like sticking in a pigeon hole.
Tracks such as 'Mezzo Mort' bounce along marvellously and once more let John Robinson show his skills. Grimace-inducing riffs again pepper this album accompanied with strange sample sounds and effects, as shown in 'Grease Him Full And Well'. All of this make this band shine with a fresh murky light in this genre.
Indeed the final track 'Red Meat for the Faithful' has a traditional metal sound mixed with an alt rock vibe adds a refreshing take on a saturated genre. This collection of tunes is adorned by the surrealistic artwork of Januz Miralles and perfectly sums up this album with its off-kilter imagery
