Spanish technical BDM maestros Wormed have returned with a new record three years after the release of 2013's devastatingly awesome Exodromos. Though the record is pretty short for a full length, (it's only about thirty-four minutes) it seems to offer everything that Wormed fans have come to expect from the quintet. Aside from new drummer G-Calero (Genotype) we have Guillemoth on bass (Human Mincer) as well as guitarists J Oliver (Unsane Crisis, ex-Hybrid) and Migueloud (Human Mincer, ex-Hybrid) which deliver much of the same technical onslaught as the previous records. Vocals are still handled by Phlegeton (Banished From Inferno, Unsane Crisis, Wrong, Human Mincer) and sound just as ferocious as they've ever been... like a frightening sort of space vaccum.There's seldom a silent moment on the disc and when one is uttered, it is usually in the form of a slight atmospheric piece that never even approaches the two-minute mark. Normally these might come across as a bit of a hurdle for some listeners, because god forbid there's a break in the mayhem; but on a release like this that is quite short and mostly atmospheric (I'll explain that in a second) I don't feel there's any real issue with these two differentiations amongst a disc with eight tracks of blaring, blistering and nearly incoherent but tatically composed death metal.
Wormed are definitely death metal and they've not changed here. There's no clean vocals, clean melodies or any such thing that you might consider vacant of filth here, regardless of the fact that frontman Phlegeton's vocal approach is still quite comparable to that of the Hoover vacuum that I used just last weekend, while giving the dungeon a well-needed clean. (I was afraid that I was going to have to be fighting off creatures in here!) Though as I mentioned, Wormed have an odd way of creating an atmosphere within what can seem like an obscure mixture of BDM and slam. Since these guys utilize quite a bit of technical riffing throughout the disc, it definitely packs more than just a punch as I almost find myself taken completely into these harsh intergalactic landscapes by which the band illustrate. Most consider Wormed one of the very best acts in the brutal death genre and they're a celebrated act by one of our tower colleagues. He absolutely loves these guys, and more than likely considers this record another good offering. But therein lies my issue. As much as I loved Exodromos, that might be because it was the first time I've ever heard this style and really appreciated it there. Krighsu feels like an extension of that record, except with a couple more slam portions which I certainly won't knock – after all, that's what fans of this genre love. It just doesn't feel like anything all that new to me, and doesn't really evolve the style in any way, shape or form. What I'm hearing here is no different than Exodromos, but that's certainly not a problem.
The disc offers a sense of unweilding brutality, savagery, devastation and whatever other words you'd like to use to categorize the material that these insane and intelligent (read: lyrical content) Spaniards are capable of devising. It's a record that can seem far longer than it actually is, which I think is a good thing for the BDM fan that wants to blast it as loud as can be and get what they feel is their money's worth. Just because the listen isn't all that lengthy in the realms of what humans would consider time, doesn't mean that you're being shortchanged for half a record or such nonsense. It's still well worth your time and investment, especially if you really love this kind of metallic approach. As with most of the disc, I sort of zoned out to it aside from a chugging piece by the name of “Zeroth Energy Graviton” which brought in a different feel than the record had prior. I feel that with most of these BDM albums, you can really sort of get absorbed into them where it's not so much about the brutality as it is the abrasive atmosphere and that's what I felt most. There are no guitar solos to speak of nor are there any sparkling leads that appear in the mix. The disc is especially drum heavy, with G-Calero really bringing a storm down on the kit that you're going to feel for a very long time to come. To some, Krighsu might sound like complete and utter noise – a vacuum cleaner doing battle with a passing eighteen-wheeler. To others, it might even sound like a battle to the death. It certainly captures the same feel of acts like Cryptopsy, Artificial Brain and 7.H. Target among others, and brings a bit more brain to the brawn.
Wormed aren't going to win any awards for this and it's certainly nothing unlike they've performed in the past. But fans know and fans will buy. If you're a fan of the above and you still haven't heard these guys, then maybe it's time to go out there and purchase all three discs in order to get the full experience. It's a good thing to see that Wormed decided to stick around after a rather lengthy hiatus to give us more than just one new offering, regardless of the three-year wait in between. Whether you love it or think it's the most unruly racket you've ever heard, Wormed are a true example of the extremely extreme. Very few bands even come close.
(10 Tracks, 34:00)
8/10
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