Many bands evolve through their existence and Wormwood are no different. They formed in Sweden in 2014 under the guise of black and roll, they have then tipped their caps to a melodic black metal style before finally settling on their current standing of delivering an individual take on Scandinavian black metal.
Now ready to deliver their latest creation, vocalist Nine et al have conjured up an elegant and hypnotic ritual. ‘Arkivet’ is seven tracks of majestic and blackened rage, each track illuminating the frost-bitten sound scape on which it sits atop of.
The vocals throughout are two tone and suit each segment of the journey with ease. The raw deliverance sits astride the ferocious and vicious fret work but when the strings switch to a stunning and graceful portion, Nine follows with his vocals being just as elegant and enveloping. Outstanding support vocals are provided in the form of Tornborg and Rydshein, with their donations being nothing short of compelling, especially considering they both put in a shift on their own primary source of noise in the form of four and six strings respectively
The guitar solos throughout are captivating and generate shards of gleaming splendour and refinement encased in a body of sheer perfection, they truly are elegance and beauty nestled in the bleak barren wilderness of the main body of work. Keys are also used to punctuate the raw and sweeping main content of art, sprinkling a diverse and surprising accent on top of the blackened core of the tracks.
This album needs time to be genuinely appreciated, you need to listen to this rather than just hear it. Your mind needs to be cleared and you need to sit back, light the candles, and really connect with this. It is a mammoth album, and it will well and truly consume you. Sit back, pour a single malt, and give this the time it rightly deserves. Go on ……. you have earned it
(9/10 Phil Pountney)
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