While science fiction themes have long been part of death metal mythology, it’s no easy task to evoke this fascination with the cosmos in a musical context. Wormed, a veritable UFO on Spain’s extreme scene, is one of those bands that achieve such a transmutation with taste and vision. On every level, Omegon is their most ambitious album to date.
At first glance, this new album seems relatively conventional… if you consider that the completely chaotic, spastic branch of metal played by Wormed can really be a convention. However, several key elements are present: compact tracks with abrupt stops and frequent changes, dizzying structures, layered guitars, and dissonant chords, brutal percussion of unparalleled precision, unbridled technicality, and inhuman vocals that reinforce the paranormal character the band likes to embody. Even the very digital blue cover is there. Yet repeated listens reveal several artistic choices that push the band’s sound even further.
For a start, the album is Wormed’s longest to date, leaving plenty of room for development. This aspect is particularly striking in the second half of the album, where melodic passages build fluidly over a rhythm section as frenetic as ever. There’s a broad palette of harmonies and guitar techniques employed, a trend heralded by the Metaportal EP released in 2019. The implementation of dissonant harmonies and ethereal melodies allows a second plane to emerge and enrich otherwise very brutal music.
Moreover, the production and mixing are reminiscent of the raw, energizing sound of the debut album Planisphaerium (2003), while retaining the velocity and modernity of subsequent albums. This return to form can also be heard in the vocal performance, which brings back into the equation the inhaled croaks so characteristic of that same first album. The difference between this aspirated voice and the exhaled ones mainly used is subtle, but very appreciable for the diversity this juxtaposition brings to the music.
Omegon remains a niche production, but one that could very well broaden Wormed’s audience. It’s an excellent album to first discover, but also one whose subtleties will satisfy those already in the know. This is a fine example of an evolution that clings to an aesthetic so as to expand its possibilities without distorting it. Perhaps the only criticism to make is that the cover art is worthy of a Transformers movie.
