ALBUM REVIEW: In The Wake Ov Sòl – Worm Shepherd
Deathcore in recent years has been one of the leading genres when it comes to stellar releases. From FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY, LORNA SHORE to CHELSEA GRIN and SHADOW OF INTENT, each band is bringing something unique to the table that has previously been seen as one dimensional. American WORM SHEPHERD are here to add to the mix with their blackened-death tones on the release of their debut album, In The Wake Ov Sòl.
Leading the album in with gentle, atmospheric guitar work, Accursed sets a sense of false security in that this calm before the storm would last longer than it does, before swiftly pummelling in. The opener sets a tone that In The Wake Ov Sòl is here to be Hell on Earth. Blackened riffs pair furiously with Devin Duarte‘s vocals, atmospheric backings build up into a possessive spiral before unleashing the guest vocals of CHELSEA GRIN‘s Alex Koehler.
The album doesn’t fall short of guest vocalists, Adam Mercer (A WAKE IN PROVIDENCE) and David Simonich (SIGNS OF THE SWARM) also join Koehler on the quintet’s debut. Their own experience within the genre add devastating layers of brutality, but again, Duarte‘s vocals are par with what they bring. To be able to hit have such an intense grip on your own skills as early as a debut is an accomplishment in itself, and shows the level of determination WORM SHEPHERD have.
Vocals aside, musically the same can be said. The textures that are created by the instrumentation create spellbinding atmospheres. Haunting DIMMU BORGIR-esque synths feed off of tech-death styled riffs hypnotise in Wretchedness Upon The Gates, whilst The Emptiness Between Stars is rich with blackened-death riffs and sombre, unearthly melodies. There’s something to be admired about how intense each song is when it comes to how it is approached. There is no repetitive feeling and despite the complexity of the band’s changing abilities they have still forged a sound that is their own, and will be instantly recognisable within the death metal/deathcore scene.
The album explores a collection of suicide scenarios and reasoning, with the aim of highlighting this incredibly difficult but important issue, in hopes that people will know that they aren’t alone. Whilst the themes around the album have been done plenty of times, it would seem dishonest in saying that any have been done in such a frantic and chaotic way before. WORM SHEPHERD have been able to somehow create the viscous cycle of what goes on in ones mind during these moments of despair in an equally harrowing manner through their music.
When you look at aforementioned songs, and see how they compare to the likes of Ragnarok, The Frozen Lake and Aether, it’s unsettling that they have been able to create a soundscape of each exact scenario with precision. Each offering from the band is completely different and yet comes with the same level of pain in execution.
Chasm Dweller however manages to close the album in possibly the most spectacular fashion that the album has been offered so far. It’s got that devastating blow of riffs, those fierce blast beats and the haunting atmosphere, but what really makes it is the album’s only exposure to clean vocals that work hand in hand with a melancholic melody. The emotive handle that this addition has, feels like the strongest gut punch you could ever receive. How WORM SHEPHERD close this album leaves you in a total place of overwhelming beauty tainted with despair.
They have tackled their debut with complete transparency with what they’re about as a band, and that in itself is an honourable success alongside what will hopefully see In The Wake Ov Sòl as one of the best deathcore debuts in a long time. It’s fuelled with devastation, despair and mental torture and yet poses as a hand to hold throughout. It’s crafted to a degree that should not be expected from a first offering, to see WORM SHEPHERD excel alongside the heavyweights in the scene would not come as a surprise if this is how they continue in the future.
Rating: 9/10
In The Wake Ov Sòl is out now via Unique Leader Records.
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