Wormwood - Arkivet (2021)

Unleashing some of the most incisive and yet superbly catchy melodic Black Metal of 2021, today we have Sweden’s Wormwood and their latest opus “Arkivet”. Delivering the perfect blend of aggression, melody, and melancholy, this outfit unravels 46 minutes of highly intense and piercing music. Recommended for fans of bands like Ellende, Netherbird, and Seth, this release is one of the most impressive ones we have heard in a while.

Opening with the incisive guitars of “The Archive”, the band sets a very high-octane mood thanks to the crafty drums and engaging vocal styles. There is no shortage of brutality in this release as the headbanging quickly starts and alternates with dreamy interludes. Tracks like “Overgrowth”, the melancholic “End of Message”, and the captivating “My Northern Heart”, slowly unravel the band’s very complex and yet precise songwriting, weaving different tempos and styles seamlessly together.

We particularly enjoy the band’s casual ability to deliver catchy and engaging simple riffs like on the opening of “Ensamheten”, a track that nicely transforms into a more expansive and ritualistic piece. The twangy atmospherics of “The Slow Down” and devastating melancholy of “The Gentle Touch of Humanity” deliver a one-two punch to close down this release.

Overall, “Arkivet” is a highly melancholic release filled with intense riffing and solid Black Metal foundations. Wormwood is an already very polished band that is just refining their sound to be completely devastating and emotionally unrecoverable. Oozing melancholy and intensity, this release will certainly turn heads as it pummels your speakers.

Label: Black Lodge Records

Release: August 27th, 2021

Genre: Melodic Black Metal

Country: Sweden