Worm are rich fodder for metal band names and it’s not hard to see why. They’re disgusting, alien and carry connotations of death and decay. And that’s before you even start writing them with a “v” and referencing dragons, sea monsters and the Devil himself. While they share the collective imagination, these Worm certainly stand apart.
After a shaky start, it was Foreverglade that first saw Worm realize their potential with a lean toward doom-death that kept enough synth-forward black metal and balanced a dark soundscape with syrupy sweet guitar solos. Since then, Bluenothing and Dream Unending split Starpath and developed that signature sound, further expanding the otherworldly and atmospheric, without ever losing sight of the slimy gravity that evidently makes their music inaccessible to about 99% of the human population. Necropalace‘s release on Century Media shows the kind of meteoric rise the band has recently enjoyed, but instead of selling out, it’s this album that gives the sense that Worm are their most complete and unapologetic selves yet. and it delivers.
Necropalace is immediately recognizable as a Worm album: cavernous doom-death of the disEMBOWELMENT type, a dungeon synth-level love of keys and stunningly beautiful lead guitars echoing in a cavernous mist. However, following the path carved by the interim EP and split, the music now channels a different subgenre of horror. The grandeur is more theatrical than imposing, the tone haunts not from a sense of dread but from an almost camp creepiness, and more time than before is given to explosive raids at faster tempos. This may sound bad, but it’s excellent. This expansion into almost all black metal musically gives Worm room in the signature interlacing of ominous gravity and otherworldly echoing melody to spread its wings and express all the eerie magic and melancholy drama it always foretold. On Necropalace, Worm fully transforms from the swamp beast of the past into the dragon that guarded a haunted castle from something strange.dreamnightmare.
All of Worm‘s unique and great elements find a new, livelier side on Necropalace. The slow doom is more somber. The guitar melodies more explosive. The echo and distortion more intense. The atmosphere richer. The synthesizers, the ominous choirs and bells, and the distortion more delightful. Guitarist Wroth Septentrion—also known as Philippe Tougas of First Fragment—hides nothing behind.
Dazzling melodies (“Halls of Weeping”) and rich, singable choruses (“The Night Has Fangs,” “Blackheart”) pour through the resonant black (ened doom) and rise into grand turns (“Necropalace,” Witchmoon: The Infernal Masquerade”). It’s the most beautiful Worm there’s ever been, but it retains that layer of grime for which Worm is so recognizable.
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It works so well thanks to the supernaturally perfect interplay between keyboard and guitar, where each is expressive and layered in its own right (“Gates to the Shadowzone (Intro)”), and reproduces or adorns the other’s lines. A lively dance of strings emerges naturally from intense choir chords (“The Night Has Fangs”) or piano cascades from grime-filled riffs (“Necropalace,” “Witchmoon”), and the rumbling synth rhythms flow flawlessly into the extreme metal (“Necropalace,” “Dragon Dreams”).
The crashing drums and rattling swords, the rising synths and sharp keys, and the way Phantom Slaughter’s screams or impassive spoken words echo phantasmagorically—all combined into these strikingly melodic forms—together create a kind of operatic melodrama that is endlessly entertaining to experience.
At this point, I would normally add a caveat, and in theory I have no qualms about choices. Necropalace runs a little over an hour, which may be too much time in the Shadowzone for some, but the time passes flawlessly. The reluctance to edit is also hinted at by the usually unpopular use of an intro with the orchestral “Gates to the Shadowzone (Intro),” which – unlike Foreverglade– is actually a shorter track. As its title suggests, though, its ominous dungeon synth and gleaming solos work well to introduce the listener to the strange world that follows. And Marty Friedman’s guitar work – who guests on the closer “Witchmoon”- fits so beautifully with everything Worm has created so far that it works as a final, epic note that more than capitalizes on his ability -and every member’s-.
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Despite their complete devotion to the otherworldly and the loosening of the reins on compositional structure and melody, Worm haven’t lost their knack for writing heavy, thrilling songs. With a pompous sense of fun and theatricality and a beauty that remains firmly rooted in darkness and filthy atmosphere, Necropalace shows Worm evolving in a way that magnifies rather than blunts their personality. If more people hear it because of signing with a bigger label, then that’s only good. I can’t stop listening either. This is the album Worm was born to create.
Rating: Excellent
DR: ? | Format rating: Streaming
Label: Century Media
Website: Bandcamp | Releases Instagram worldwide: February 13, 2026
The review was done by Angry metal guy.
