Wormsand - You, The King - Metal Epidemic

Wormsand – You, The King
Release Date: 8th November 2024
Label: Mrs Red Sound
Bandcamp
Genre: Sludge, Grunge, Stoner.
FFO: Yob, Monolord, Alice in Chains.
Review By: Mark Young

This is an intriguing and very engaging release from Wormsand, a band who tread the worn path of the sludge genre without getting their feet stuck in the conventions that other bands follow. This is apparent from the way Daydream breaks and then unfolds with a nuanced mix of riffs that seem to wrap and unwrap themselves as it is following a cosmic direction, whilst a vocal delivery that brings cleans in a register that is nailed on for this form. The guitar tone is the thing that hit me the most, it’s heavy without losing any of the clarity that is required for me to really appreciate what they do. Digging Deep employs more extreme vocals to drive their willingness to switch current tropes around to get the sound they want, and it’s perfect here, providing them with the necessary heft whilst not overpowering everything else. The riff lines themselves intertwine with the drums like ribbons flowing in the breeze, it’s fantastic stuff. The lead break is also well done, fitting in like a natural extension of the main riff, and I think for one of the first times this year that a band’s bio actually speaks the truth about the music that is about to be dropped.

You, The King enters on a line of gentle discord while they gradually layer and build the song to suit in an unhurried fashion. When they drop the riffs it’s combined with those extreme vocals once more, and on here placing those vocals as a support measure to the cleans works so well. The register of the cleans makes the guitar heavier, whilst the extremes just fatten that sound further. It’s an expansive track, channelling a little shoe-gaze into the middle/latter sections, but none of it feels forced or tacked on. Black Heaven continues with that economy of guitarwork, a central riff that underpins everything and allows for embellishments as the song progresses. Lead work takes the same method, staying within the context of the song whilst bringing a unique touch to it. This approach is a breath of fresh air to me, especially when comparing it against other bands, they don’t repeat the same ideas to build scope, their songs are specific to them, and feel as though they have been refined and refined until they get it to the stage you hear it at. Drown is such an example, squeezing in a lot whilst keeping the length under 5 minutes. Again, it feels natural, even in the frenzied vocal ending that closes it.

The Final Dive is possibly the closest to traditional sludge, with its melancholic opening that goes for the subtle end of the spectrum. Even when the guitar kicks in, that measured vibe is still there and for final track, To Die Alone, they ramp up that cosmic/psych feel with supporting keys that fill the arrangement out further. On here, that method of building, of layering, is giving full reign without sounding overwrought. That attention to detail is key, as there are no wasted moments on this album at all. There are no long-repeated moments that go nowhere, this is direct and all the better for it.