Exclusive Stream: Wormed – “Stellar Depopulation”

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Wormed’s 2003 debut PlanisphÆrium is one of those Demilich-style cult objects—a really, really weird one-off death metal album that a certain set of people absolutely love. I was never sold on it. The “scientific br00tality from outer space!!!” concept does nothing for me (from them or from anyone, really), and the music itself pursued extreme heaviness to the exclusion of virtually every other enjoyable quality. It is good for death metal to be crushing, but extremity that does not serve a song is of little use.

Exodromos, Wormed’s new record, puts the space br00tality to a purpose. The muddiness and directionless compositions are gone; only the wackadoo science fiction themes and the poopmouthed gutturals remain from the PlanisphÆrium days. Wormed is playing cutting-edge technical death metal now, complete with actual dynamics and guitar work that is both adventurously noisy and adventurously melodic—a rare combination. I’m reminded at times of Gigan, another space-themed death metal band, but with fewer effects pedals and more muscle.

Fellow slamsmiths Devourment and Defeated Sanity also cleaned up their signature sounds considerably on their 2013 releases, but Wormed has delivered the most exciting release of the three by far. Brutal death metal purists will likely reject all of them. Pearls before swine.

Listen to “Stellar Depopulation” from Exodromos below. It comes out on March 26th via Willowtip.

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