Wormtongue - Memorial to a Golden Age

Wormtongue is Hastoth from Richmond, VA. First off – what’s up with the multiple layers of aliases in black metal? When Malefic has beer with his buddies, do they call him Malefic, Xasthur, or, god forbid, Scott? You can’t get more “tr00” than your birth name, folks. Second – Richmond, VA. Not exactly Bergen, Norway. Surprisingly, quality black metal can come from even subtropical River City.

Unlike many one-misanthrope black metal bands, Wormtongue doesn’t sound like he sits inside all day contemplating death. Rather, he draws from the folk and symphonic sides of the genre. This creates an interesting sonic blend. On one hand, there’s quiet, intimate acoustic guitar. On the other hand, there are majestic keyboards (let’s face it, “symphonic” = “keyboards” unless you’re Dimmu Borgir and can afford an orchestra). In the middle are the requisite thin, buzzing guitars, with rasped and growled vocals.

Wormtongue skillfully balances these elements, using keyboards sparingly. They provide warm, grand interludes, like the sun peeking through the clouds. The acoustic parts, too, are pleasingly pastoral. Thus, this won’t win any awards for “grimness.” The black metal bits are nasty enough, to be sure. But the other elements are what stand out. This is that rare case in black metal that would benefit from a higher budget, like with, say, real string players. You can do your part by picking this up for a mere $5 at CafePress.