Worm — Gloomlord

Buried within the dirt, Worm wriggles forth to put out their second full length on Iron Bonehead. Following 2017's Evocation of the Black Marsh, 2020's follow-up, Gloomlord, sees Worm once again returning to the grim, stagnant marshes of slow, bleak metal. Low, slow, and thoroughly doom laden, Gloomlord does its best to darken even the brightest days.

A wonderful aspect of doom is the speed at which it churns forth. Going at its own pace, being very deliberate along the way, Gloomlord is just five tracks coming in at about 42 minutes. Never rushed, and never feeling overlong, Worm manages to fit their metal into the perfect sweet spot. Murky with a touch of vile, the music on Worm's latest perfectly matches the slimy cover art on display. The two man Floridian Funeral Doom team brings elegiac tones and slow, thick riffs to send forth underworld awareness. With guitars rising from the soupy mire, Worm gives the listener a brief respite from the slime and sludge, and helps to give a better perspective on where they are in this swampy landscape. These respites are well constructed and well timed, and add a nice dimension to Gloomlord. Not content to just oppress with sluggish, heaviness, Worm interjects contrasting highs and opens up their mix quite a bit. Adding this extra flavor helps Worm's latest from feeling its time, and makes the listener eager for more.

Swampy and sludgy, Worm's Gloomlord makes a much needed doom delivery to 2020. Coming once again from Iron Bonehead, this one ensures that you winter will be bleak and your skies dark. Worthy of numerous back to back spins, Worm continues to show growth and their development of Floridian Funeral Doom should be on all metal fans' radars.