Worm

Necrofier – Transcend into Oblivion Review

Necrofier – Transcend into Oblivion Review

By Creeping Ivy on February 23, 2026 in Reviews, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 30 comments

“Houston’s Necrofier first came on my radar when they played the 2024 Decibel Magazine Tour with Hulder, Devil Master, and Worm. Sadly, I missed their opening set, but gladly, I caught a recording of it on YouTube. Their raucous, crowd-pleasing performance compelled me to check out their recordings. At 36 minutes, debut Prophecies of Eternal Darkness (2021) is a lean, mean barrage of melodic black metal, while Burning Shadows in the Southern Night (2023) ups the ante with 47 minutes of stronger, more polished material. Necrofier’s (lone?) star seems to be on the rise since Decibel 2024, as their third album arrives on the mighty Metal Blade Records.” Necro is the new 6-7.

Worm – Necropalace Review

Worm – Necropalace Review

By Thus Spoke on February 16, 2026 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Doom, Death Metal, Dungeon Synth, 118 comments

“Worms are rich fodder for metal band names, and it’s not hard to see why. They’re gross, alienlike, and carry connotations of death and decay; and that’s before you start spelling it with a ‘v’ and thereby reference dragons, sea monsters, and the Devil himself. While sharing the collective imagination, this Worm definitely distinguishes themselves. After a shaky start, it was Foreverglade that first saw Worm realize their potential with a lean towards doom-death that retained just enough synth-forward black metal and balanced a murky soundscape with syrupy sweet guitar solos.” Worm turning?

Gloombound – Dreaming Delusion [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

Gloombound – Dreaming Delusion [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Killjoy on December 6, 2025 in Things You Might Have Missed 2025, Death Doom, Funeral Doom, 34 comments

“Funeral doom metal is a subgenre that, when executed properly, is fertile ground for stimulating the listener’s imagination. Perhaps this is because the glacial pace offers ample room for the mind to wander. Perhaps it’s because the music focuses more on deliberate mood than mindblowing technicality. With the right album artwork to gaze at, the experience is particularly immersive. While the music that Gloombound plays may be sonically closer to death-doom, it is composed with the same painstaking attention to detail as the best funeral doom.” Doom with room to wander.

Bleed – Bleed Review

Bleed – Bleed Review

By Saunders on May 7, 2025 in Reviews, Alternative Metal, Shoegaze, 85 comments

“Record label dependability is a handy gauge for assessing quality in the crowded realms of the metalverse. The gauge isn’t always foolproof, but more often than not, a handful of trustier labels in the biz deliver on both quality and individuality. Pittsburgh-based record label 20 Buck Spin has championed many a fine band since its inception 20 years ago, boasting a diverse roster, currently including wide-ranging acts such as Fulci, Vastum, Slimelord, Bedsore, Tribunal, and Worm. It was a curious promotion of Texan band Bleed that piqued my interest. Even amidst the label’s solid variety and idiosyncrasies, on paper Bleed appear an unusual fit. Firstly, Bleed have no affiliation with the extreme sounds of many of their labelmates, instead leaning into a chunky and melodic alternative metal/rock sound channeling late ’90s and early ’00s vibes.” If it bleeds, it leads.

Void Witch – Horripilating Presence Review

Void Witch – Horripilating Presence Review

By Cherd on July 29, 2024 in Reviews, Death Doom, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 52 comments

“One of the joys of being a music scene deep diver is liking what you hear of a brand-spanking-new band’s demos and EPs, watching them sign to a label, and anticipating their debut full-length. The Austin, Texas death-doom outfit Void Witch caught my attention with their first demo in 2021. The songs were remarkably fleshed out for being a band’s first-ever output, and I enjoyed the funny little black-and-white illustration of a hooded figure with five legs all pointing to the side. We’ll call him Five Feets Francis. A couple years later I noticed that Everlasting Spew re-released that demo with an additional song and a new illustration in the same style. I call that guy Pope Alligator Hands the Third. This was a great sign.” Witch void is which?

Civerous – Maze Envy Review

Civerous – Maze Envy Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on March 28, 2024 in Reviews, Death Doom, Death Metal, 67 comments

“As I gazed upon the purple-toned maze—which, does not appear to be a very well-designed maze in its hissing sculpture—and heard the early, shimmering notes of what Civerous brought to the table for this sophomore release, Maze Envy, my mind raced. This Los Angeles-based act’s 2021 full-length debut, Decrepit Flesh Felic, filled a snarling, buzzing diSEMBOWELMENT-shaped niche of pounding, shifting death metal that supplies ample kicks to the seat. Though Civerous never turned quite as doom-laden and tortured as that Australian novelty, they pushed into the bounds of long-form tumble in their cavernous lane with a proud stomp.” Maze stunners.

Slimelord – Chytridiomycosis Relinquished Review

Slimelord – Chytridiomycosis Relinquished Review

By Thus Spoke on March 6, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, 62 comments

“Slimelord employ a twisty, sticky kind of death metal, fusing the hallucinogenic swampiness of Worm or Tomb Mold, with the colder more surgical brutality of acts like Replicant or Asystole. Whether it drags itself along like a primordial monster or comes at you with flailing, slimy limbs at breakneck speed, Chytridiomycosis Relinquished is consistently bonkers and brutal.” Where the slime rule.

Spectral Voice – Sparagmos Review

Spectral Voice – Sparagmos Review

By Thus Spoke on February 5, 2024 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Funeral Doom, 62 comments

“In the frenzied ritualistic worship of the god Dionysus, acolytes would often perform the violent act known as Sparagamos—tearing limb-from-limb a sacrificial animal, or human. What ecstatic human hands would enact, Spectral Voice conjures in their sophomore bearing its moniker, their attempt to reach “the moment in which – through sacrifice – atavistic wildness is unleashed, and the ultimate exaltation of life through death is realized.”” Giving voice to the void.