Wormwood/Å/Black Lodge Records/2026 EP Review

  Sweden's  Wormood  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  atmospheric  and  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  ep  "Å"  which  will be  released  in  August  by  Black  Lodge  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Atmospheric  synths  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  vocals  are mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  mixed  in  with  a  few  death  metal  growls  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  clean  playing  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  elements  of  thrash  metal,  spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  both  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  On  this  recording  Wormwood  add  elements  of  death  and  thrash  metal  into  their  atmospheric  and  melodic  style  of  black  emtal  to  take  their  sound  to  a  different  level.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  cosmic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Wormwood  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  and  melodic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out t his  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Purposeless  Geometry".  8  out  of  10.

  https://orcd.co/blod197

     

Wormwood/The Star/Black Lodge Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Sweden's  Wormwood  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  atmospheric  and  melodic  style  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "The  Star"  which  will  be  released  in  may  by  Black  Lodge  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can be  heard  which  also  gives  the  album  more  of  a  raw  feeling  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody.  

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.  Clear  vocals  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  album,  spoken  word  parts  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  closing  track  also  adding  in  some  acoustic  guitars  and  a  couple  of  the  songs  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  end  of  the  universe.     

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Wormwood  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  and  melodic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Stjarnfall"  "Galactic  Blood"  and  "Ro".  8  out  of  10.

  WEB:

http://www.wormwood-official.com
https://blacklodge.se/artists/wormwood/

SOCIAL PROFILES:
Bandcamp: http://wormwood-official.bandcamp.com/
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/officialwormwood 

Wormwood/Arkivet/Black Lodege Records/2021 CD Review

 

  Sweden's  Wormwood  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  atmospheric  and melodic  style  of  black  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Arkivet"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Black  Lodge  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  also  has  a  lot  of  90's  Swedish  influences  but  done  in  a  more  modern  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  the  synths  also  giving  the  songs  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  when  they  are  utilized.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Angry  shouts  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  stringed  and  folk  instruments,  clean  vocals  are  also  added  on  a  couple  of  songs.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  humanity's  destructive  force,  the  inability  to  adapt  to  our  nature  and  our  inevitable  and  well  deserved  death.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Wormwood  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  atmospheric  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Archive"  "My  Northern  Heart"  and  "The  Gentle  Touch  Of  Humanity".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp: http://wormwood-official.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wormwoodofficial/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WormwoodSWE
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WormwoodSWE

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/officialwormwood  

  

    

      

Wormwood/Nattarvet/Black Lodge/2019 CD Review

  Wormwood  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  atmospheric  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Nattarvet"  which  will  be  released  on  July  26th  by  Black  Lodge.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  musical  direction.  All  of  the  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  riffs  also  utilizing  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  angry  shouts  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some  elements  of  folk  music  and  stringed  instruments  being  added  on  some  of  the  tracks.  Acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  some  clean  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  growls  can  also  be  heard,  synths  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Swedish  and  English  and  cover  famine  and  unspeakable  horror  during  a  Swedish  winter  in  past  times.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Wormwood  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  and  melodic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Artic  Light"  and  "The  Isolationist".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp: http://wormwood-official.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wormwoodofficial/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WormwoodSWE
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WormwoodSWE
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/officialwormwood

Wormwood Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

When we finished the recordings of  "Ghostlands: Wounds from a bleeding earth" we got in touch with the record label Non Serviam Records.
Since then we´re been occupied with a few gigs, rehearsals and a lot of promotion.

2.In March you have a new album coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the ep you had released in 2015?

This is a hard question, I dont think there is one true objective answer, since music is an abstract form of art.
But I would describe it as a mix of atmospheric and melancholic soundscapes, raw rock´n roll, traditional scandinavian folk music and black metal.
Or as the sound of the all mighty nature, endless space and nightmares based on our local folklore.

It differ from our EP in many ways, "The Void: Stories from a whispering well"  was much more primitive and straight forward in a sense. It did contain the fundaments for what we are now, but the over all production and song quality is much more solid at Ghostlands...

3.You refer to your musical style as being 'Atmospheric Blackened Folk'n'Roll', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?
Well, that is a made up genre to describe our music in just a few words, since it contains elements of Atmospheric black metal, hard rock and folk music.
But I think it´s very hard to label music and describe the sound of a specific genre for people that haven't heard it, so i let other people do that if they want to.
Our main focus is to make the music and perform it, whatever it´s called.


4.Some of your lyrics cover Nordic mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this subject?
Our mythology and folklore has and will always be around.
If you ever visit Scandinavia you will start to notice traces and signs of our old culture in almost everything.
The names of locations and cities, names of buildings and places, the origins of our holidays, and so on.
It´s easy to forget this when you´re in the middle of it, but if you really start to think about it you will realize it´s everywhere.
In many aspects the old norse believes and wisdom is still up-to-date in our modern society, and I think it´s our damn duty to preserve it. Now more than ever.

Personally I´ve been attracted to our mythology and history more or less since i was a child. It just came naturally.


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Wormwood'?

The name comes from a star called Wormwood, which is mentioned in the bible. The star fell down and made the river sour and poisonous. The name resonated for us because it's the dance of death between space and nature.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Different shows can be amazing in so many ways. As long as you can see the spark in the eyes of the crowd it doesnt matter if it`s a small club or at a bigger festival stage.
The best shows are the shows where we convince at least one single person -that never heard about us before- to go home and listen to our music in the future.
Our performance is energetic, sweaty and hypnotic.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

 Yes, in october we will go for an European tour as support for IMPIETY(Singapore), together with Asagraum(Norway), Bode Preto(Brazil).
We will also play a few gigs here in Sweden this spring/summer and we´re currently discussing some festival gigs and a mini tour outside of Sweden as well.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
It´s been surprisingly good this far. Great feedback from all kinds of people, not just the regular black metal audience.

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Well, the main focus is WORMWOOD for everyone.
I am occasionally playing live guitar for the pagan/folk/viking metal band MÅNEGARM.
 Nox(guitar) is involved in the death metal band RIKET, NINE(vox) and NOX(guitar) is also a part of the black metal band WHITERSHIN that is not active atm.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I would like to say that we have a great thing going on, and we will definitely improve it even more. You will hear from Wormwood over the years, that´s a promise.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Personally I listen to...Hmmm.... I dont listen to much music at all nowdaays to be honest, i dont have the time.
But I am, and always has been a big fan of rock/metal in general. I also like traditional swedish folk music, some blue grass and so on.
Im not so tied to a particular genre of music. As long as the music means something and makes me feel something it´s good.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
I am really into art is different forms. I do a lot of graphic stuff, filming and editing, I used to paint a lot as well.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thank you for the interview, I really hope that you will enjoy our album "Ghostlands: Wounds from a bleeding earth" , spread the word!
A big shout out to our record label Non Serviam Records, and all the fans and supporters.

See you on the road!

/ RYDSHEIM (Guitar)

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Wormwood/Ghostlands - Wounds From A Bleeding Earth/Non Serviam Records/2017 CD Review

  Wormwood  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  very  grim,  melodic,  and  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this   is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Ghostlands  -  Wounds  From  A  Bleeding  Earth"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Non  Serviam  Records.

  Atmospheric  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  pagan  war  calls  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  very  fast  and  melodic  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams.

  Throughout  the  recording  you can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  deep  growls  are  also  used  at  times  and  acoustic  guitars  along  with  spoken  word  parts  being  used  at  times  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  Swedish  tradition  of  the  90's  an d the  tremolo  picking  gives  the  songs  a  raw  black  metal  feeling.

  Some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melodic  vocals  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  and  stringed  instruments  on  a  couple  of  songs  which  add  a  touch  of  folk  music  onto  the  album  and  some  of  the  heavy  riffing  also  brings  in  a  more  modern  and  atmospheric  style  and  as  the  album  progresses  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Wormwood  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  melodic,  grim  and  atmospheric  sounding  while  also  adding  in a  touch  of  the  pagan  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover the  vast  and  mystical  space  of  the  Scandinavian  north  and  old  folk  tales.

  In  my  opinion Wormwood  are  a  very  grim  sounding  atmospheric,  grim  and  melodic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Universe  Is  Dying"  "To  The  Oceans"  "The Windmall" and  "To  Worship".  8/5  out  of  10.

Bandcamp: https://www.wormwood1.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wormwoodboston