Friday, April 6, 2018

LP Review: "Wrath of the Wilds" by Wormlight

Wrath of the Wilds
When considering metal convention and cliche, is there any subgenre that's so indebted to these things than black metal?

Black Metal is full of interesting tropes that are brought out again and again by new and different acts trying to recapture the magic of what once was.

Even the facepaint is oft used. The same faces will appear in different bands. Honestly, I don't know if that's an homage or a heist.

Either way.

It's as if there's this straight and narrow path that delineates black metal from all other forms of music. Should it walk the edge and make a misstep that drops a single, fur covered boot into the snow....is it still black metal?

Wormlight
For you consideration, I offer up unto you and the gods of metal, black and otherwise, Wormlight.

For starters, they are Swedish, so their Black Metal pedigree is fresh. We'll skip on asking for the birth certificate.

They are wearing the signature corpse paint of the genre, but it's a bit, shall we say off. This is great. No one looks like they belong in Behemoth, Mayhem, or god help us, Cradle of Filth.

Now, musically, it's very easy to draw a straight light between Wormlight and the Second Wave of Black Metal.

Just as it was easy to draw a straight line between Metallica and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.  In both cases, the influence is clear, perhaps a little clearer for Wormlight, but the result isn't a carbon copy of what once was.

The press surrounding them refers to them as a melodic black metal band. This is the closest thing to a contradiction in terms as I've ever ever experienced. However, Wormlight is able to jazz things up a bit melodically.

Don't be expecting any Iron Maiden style vocal or guitar harmonies, but do expect the melodic dial to be turned up a couple points way from De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas.

Release: 4/25/18
Genre: Black Metal
Label: Black Lion Records
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