Worm Shepherd // In the Wake of Sol
Even though this album came out at the end of 2020, I’m going to act like it came out this year because I’m pretty stoked about it and I think it deserves a spot somewhere on an end of the year list. It’s still early but Worm Shepherd has set a high bar.
This album pushes the boundaries of deathcore in a lot of the same ways that Lorna Shore’s did last year. Despite the extreme heaviness, there is still a surprising amount of melody sprinkled in. The main difference between this and Lorna Shore is that Lorna Shore focused more on epic symphonic elements, while Worm Shepherd incorporates those elements more sparingly, choosing to focus on a more extreme sound.
After one listen, it is clear that Devin Duarte has made a compelling case that he is an elite deathcore vocalist. Devin’s mid screams sound like Shrine of Malice’s, they’re so forceful and clear. His highs also go perfectly with the frantic black metal sections. But most impressively, his low screams are ridiculously heavy. He’s like a garbage disposal gurgling over the breakdowns.
One highlight is Alex Koehler’s feature on “Accursed”, it’s awesome hearing him scream again. “Wretchedness Upon The Gates” also features David Simonich, the New Signs of the Swarm vocalist, and it’s kind of interesting how closely tied a lot of the top deathcore vocalists are right now. Alex Koehler left Chelsea Grin and was replaced by Tom Barber. Tom left Lorna Shore and was replaced by CJ McCreery. CJ left Signs of The Swarm and was replaced by David Simonich. And Devin Duarte sounds like a combination of them all.
One of my favorite moments on the album is the end of “Wretchedness Upon The Gates”. The super heavy vocals have a really cool interaction with the grooves.
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