ninehertz

It’s always fascinating to hear an album this engaging coming out in January. Woorms take a Mike Patton approach to their creative endeavours, that is, they sound fully tapped.

You could insult them with genre restrictions and comparisons to the usual but I’ll try not to here. Instead the focus should be honed in, microscope style on their unique methodology. Subtle little markers pop up over the irreverent riffage, the squalls of feedback and vocal tics that pepper tunes like Mouth is a Wound where a strange tale of a murderous Satanist halfway through that is told over a hissing choir of guitar abuse. Truly nuts, I love it.

Elsewhere there’s hulking sections that you can imagine laying heavy on your ears live. All of this delivered with a daft, likeable grin. If you’re looking for something to get you through the Monday of months (we all hate New Year, right?) then this could be your slightly wonky start to the year.

Props should also go to The Sludgelord, a one-man operation that seems to be on an endless physical release schedule out of Sheffield. This, along with other promising releases mean 2019 will be full of unique and captivating music.