ALBUM REVIEW: Wormwood - "Mooncurse"

By: Ernesto Aguilar


Album Type: Full length
Date Released:20/10/2017

Label: Translation Loss Records

Wormwood's performance on "Mooncurse" is doom in the purest sense. Purposeful pacing and incredibly weighty riffs aplenty.  As you make your way to "Passage of Fire," Wormwood's greatest traits are on full display: an impeccable grasp of timing, dark musical sequences and undefeatable heaviness

 

"Mooncurse" CD//DD//LP track listing

1. Infinite Darkness

2. The Undesirables

3. Forlorn

4. Mooncurse

5. Parasitic Twin

6. Burn the Psychic Vision

7. Passage of Fire

The Review:

Terms like 'supergroup' are so overused that it is near impossible to truly quantify it with anything real. Shouldn't bands from which players come from reach a particular echelon, sales threshold or, well, something? So when a fantastic band like Boston's Wormwoodgets the term hung on it, one has to resist the meaninglessness of the phrase, and instead focus on its gifts.

In the case of Wormwood, those gifts come from both intense chemistry and superlative musicianship. Drummer Chris Bevilacqua and guitarist Chris Pupecki, previously known from local act Doomriders, offered up Wormwood's self-titled debut EP in 2014. The heaviness of that premiere was so warmly received that hopes rose for Wormwood'sreturn. Three years and two new members – Mike Gowell, previously of Phantom Glue, on guitar and Greg Weeks, previously of Red Chord, on bass – later, and Wormwoodstrikes back, with the 's' word bandied about, and an impressive new album, "Mooncurse," to show for it.

When it was a duo, the band was particularly effective at setting a claustrophobic mood through distortion, rhythm and harrowing effects. Now as a quartet, Wormwoodredoubles this commitment by making even richer sounds in this regard. Wormwoodtouches down with "Infinite Darkness," whose haunting strings set up what becomes quickly a throttling opening cut. Into "The Undesirables," previewed for this album, you hear a prime example of how much larger Wormwoodsound with its extra hands and more much more penetrating approach. The pacing of this song and lyrics make it a standout. Meanwhile, "Forlorn," which follows it, a striking instance of a change up that does not sound out of place or confusing; cresting slowly, the song's guitar assault comes in fits and starts, at first with an almost folk-style chord progression into a much more rapacious attack.

Wormwood's performance on "Mooncurse" is doom in the purest sense. Even its fastest playing is in the spirit of some of the best offerings this year. Purposeful pacing and incredibly weighty riffs aplenty. A song like "Burn the Psychic Vision" is such a great listen because it is well arranged, with drums and bass that luxuriously creep through your mind's eye. The new double guitar lineup adds depth to this cut, as well as to entries such as "Parasitic Twin" and the title track. As you make your way to "Passage of Fire," Wormwood's greatest traits are on full display: an impeccable grasp of timing, dark musical sequences and undefeatable heaviness. Whether you subscribe to the supergroup tag or not, Wormwoodlives up to the road it cut in its debut, and then some, with a full-length to be appreciated.

"Mooncurse" is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook