From the cold, northern land of Iceland comes the newest addition (and addiction) to the post/experimental black metal scene, Wormlust. The brainchild of H.V Lyngdal has been going since 2003, under the guise of Wolfheart, before changing its name in 2006. A few demos followed, out of which the most impressive was The Opium Sleep showing the immense potential of Wormlust. And now, from Demonhood Productions, comes the long overdue debut album from the band, entitled The Feral Wisdom.
Wormlust is a strange hybrid, incorporating elements of psychedelia into their black metal, not just to enhance the ambiance of the album, but instead with a more holistic approach. The album is quite diverse to start with. The opening track of the record, “Sex augu, tólf stjörnur”, might kick things off with an ambient intro but soon enough the black metal feral instincts of Wormlust are brought to the surface annihilating everything in the band’s path. The bitter sound continues to echo through your head with the sonic dissonance slowly trying to drive you insane, not letting you find a glimpse of light in here. The onslaught continues about halfway into the track with Wormlust incorporating a grander sound, relying on mid tempo beats and synths to construct its towering sound, while at the same time the vocals coming through the well are consuming your brain. The few melodic leads that the band throws towards you are just lifeboats that are too far away for you to reach. There is no hope to be found here, something quite apparent when the ending of the track, followed by two minutes of sonic experimentation puts “Sex augu, tólf stjörnur” to rest.
In a sudden twist, Wormlust let loose their grand sound again. The start of “Djöflasýra” manages to have at the same time a sickening and a melodic feeling; with the riffs mesmerizing the listener and the mid tempo pace working perfectly to complete the transition into the haze of Wormlust’s cosmos. The bitter element of the music is obviously still present but the aggression has retreated in part, giving way to an impressive built of ambiance, which reaches higher levels three and a half minutes in. The song is then slowly build up again, with the band assuming once more their torturous form about seven and a half minutes in, enriched with an impressive eerie mood and an almost schizophrenic approach towards groove and rhythm.
The shortest track of the album, “Á altari meistarans”, is Wormlust’s absolute connection to the spirits of psychedelia. The song slowly develops without ever exploding, with the ritualistic pace enhancing the mystical feeling of the music. The journey through the darkness is full of hallucinations and visions that are neither true or false here, an inescapable labyrinth is being constructed in this instance with the use of effects disorienting the listener, while the vocals are emerging through the darkness to pull your mind into the depths of fear and despair. The ambiance of “Á altari meistarans” ties in perfectly with the closing track of the album, “Iður úti”. The three minute long tension that the band is building comes at an end with the black metal assault descending upon you. The track keeps evolving, passing through the two extreme phases, atmospheric parts and black metal edge, with ease. The process feels natural and insane at the same time, with Wormlust reaching new depths of nauseating bleakness about six minutes in. The band is putting all its energy into the last three and a half minutes of the track, making each second count as you are being drowned in their inescapable void.
The Feral Wisdom manages to bring together the hypnotic and chaotic natures under one album. Wormlust manage to combine their black metal with psychedelia in a very innovative way, somehow retaining their edge but also sounding unearthly at the same time. Go ahead and listen to the album. When reality starts to distort do not worry, it happens to anyone that is brave enough to dwell into The Feral Wisdom, and this astral journey is worth the risk.
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