Do Panspermic Warlords disappear in spunk? No that would frankly be silly and Panspermia actually refers to the theory of life being carried through space by the likes of meteors and comets. That goes for nasty things as well such as bacteria and vampires although that is only if you ever watched Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce. As you would perhaps anticipate once the title of the album is looked up, this is an album destined to fling the listener into uncharted corners of the cosmos. Our musical astronaut here is Menetekel (aided by drummer Voidgaunt) who is part of the fertile Helvetic Underground Committee and affiliated with countless acts such as Ungfell, Lykhaeon and Dakhma.

Silent as far as Wyrgher are concerned since 2015 when an album and EP was released, this 2nd full-lengther seems like it may well have taken a while to construct as it is a dense and demanding release. Having said that it is not actually difficult to sum up being a collision course of rough and tumbling, exhaustive riffing, ploughing through the stars and hurtling the listener into the great beyond. Vocals follow and are coarse and harrowing blackened roars matching the music pace for pace and between the gaps there are sections of drifting ambience. Essentially there you have it apart from the tags that this would appeal to fans of acts such as Mare Cognitum & Darkspace as far as the label is concerned as well as perhaps Dodheimsgard and even Voivod as I have noted through quite a few listens of this involving 50-minute widescreen musical experience.

Although undeniably complex the good news is that this is never too much to get a handle on and as you follow it from one kaleidoscopic quest to the next, it never gets too bogged down in its own pretentions. Menetekel has no problems steering us through asteroid fields that although knocking the tin can we are travelling in for six, have no problems with shielding us with their force-field over 10-minute running times. Those ambient structures are also on hand to install a sense of languid peace to the more hostile elements too.

Like a 70’s sci-fi novel we voyage through these chapters somewhat in awe and it is a captivating journey of exploration from beginning to end. This review could easily have been written as a massive essay but for once less is more and perhaps you will be intrigued enough to buckle up and take a trip with Wyrgher yourself. Robert Calvert would no doubt have approved!

(8/10 Pete Woods)

https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/panspermic-warlords