ALBUM REVIEW: Necropalace – Worm
Like alchemists searching for a universal cure for common diseases, the elixir of life, or the ability to convert base metals into noble ones, Floridian polymaths WORM push their ambitious tendencies into overdrive on Necropalace. This fourth studio album, and first since 2021’s Foreverglade, is a cinematic, gothic horror that transcends the boundaries of black metal, death-doom, and melodic heavy metal.
From Gates To The Shadowzone (Intro)‘s timpani-driven, Dark Crystal-esque introduction, Necropalace commits fully to its vampiric dark fantasy narrative. Phantom Slaughter’s vocals are central to this immersion, shifting between black metal howls, guttural death growls, and gothic spoken word, often within the same verse. The ten-minute title track showcases this masterfully—melodic, near-anthemic riffs giving way to bludgeoning rhythm section attacks before sailing into extended guitar solos that never outstay their welcome. When Slaughter growls “I am the dark lord, pick up the sword, reclaim my throne, live eternally,” the world-building feels genuinely convincing.
Wroth Septentrion’s guitar work deserves particular attention. The Night Has Fangs sees IMMORTAL’s tremolo-picked fury collide with IRON MAIDEN-style power solos—Piece of Mind-era swagger meeting blackened extremity in a track that defies easy categorisation. Dragon Dreams pushes this further still, with orchestral harp passages dissolving into blackened death-doom assaults before guitars downtuning in real-time drag everything back into darkness. The dungeon-synth elements threaded throughout aren’t mere decoration—they’re structural, binding the album’s gothic atmosphere into something genuinely cinematic.
Blackheart deserves special mention for its lyrical ambition. References to Wallachian princes and centuries-old vampiric curses ground the narrative in genuine Romanian folklore—the historical brutality of Vlad the Impaler blending seamlessly with supernatural horror. Halls of Weeping similarly excels, its Dark Souls-inspired atmosphere built through muddy basslines and heartbeat-resembling drum patterns before an unexpected melodic death metal riff emerges halfway through, revolving endlessly like a door with no exit.
Closing epic Witchmoon-The Infernal Masquerade earns its fourteen-minute runtime through its sheer tenacity. Featuring ex-MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman, it delivers devastating passages of death-doom—double-bass drums flooding your lungs—before another MAIDEN-worshipping solo erupts from the chaos. The track concludes with thunderous NWOBHM pomp, cymbals clattering and guitars riding off into darkness. Friedman’s influence is audible throughout the album, but here his contribution cements the track as the grand finale it needs to be.
Like fellow genre alchemists BLOOD INCANTATION before them, WORM are graduating to extreme metal’s top tier. Necropalace isn’t merely their finest work, it’s a modern classic built from horror, folklore, and breathtaking musical ambition.
Rating: 9/10
Necropalace is set for release on February 13th via Century Media Records.
Follow WORM on Instagram.