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Zyklon > World ov Worms > Reviews
Zyklon - World ov Worms

The first and the last of global warnings. - 85%

Diamhea, February 20th, 2014

Welcome to the world of worms. Take the portentous atmosphere present on cybernetic epics like Mechina's Empyrean and merge the remaining flesh into gear; gear represented by a pulverizing rhythm section with diesel fuel surging throughout it's veins. The odious entity of industrialized chaos that remains would be something akin to Norway's Zyklon.

While the band's two later records with Secthdamon manning the helm were rather uninspired and meandering in their delivery, World ov Worms features a more potent formula brimming with both compositional excess and elegance. Anything but the side-project it was envisioned of at the time, Zyklon merges avant-garde electronic elements with otherworldly shrieking and garish clusters of radiated distortion. In fact, Daemon's hoarse shouts may be the single most important element that separates World ov Worms from it's two younger siblings. His rapid-fire intonation meshes with harpy-like highs and subsonic roars in an attempt at sweeping the listener up for a crash course in apocalyptic end-time nuance. The overly-distorted electronic pulses that give way to slicing tremolos during the second half of "Zycloned" live up to said track's namesake in both function and primal form.

Samoth's tone is appropriately digital and contemporary sounding, swinging both wide and deep from a sonic perspective. His riffs make a concerted effort toward sinking their hooks in as deep as possible before periodically resurfacing to recharge their synthetic batteries as the vocals take over. The listener is forced along for the ride through a number of relentless anthems to the end of days in "Hammer Revelation", "Storm Detonation", and the particularly vehement "Worm World". World ov Worms is at it's incendiary best during these three live staples, which bring the best out of Daemon's typically-virulent inflection alongside a particular coherence to the rhythm section. A rhythm section bolstered by Torson's acrobatic double-bass and workmanlike blasting. The man needs to introduction on the kit, but Zyklon's scattershot compositional style pushes his abilities to new, more extreme thresholds.

The keyboards are prominent, but not necessarily distracting. The atmosphere evokes mental images of apocalyptic wastelands and civilizations sacrificed by their reliance on technology. The smoke never clears, obfuscating the air much like the compressed, pluggy nature of World ov Worms mix. The sound is sterile, but not offensively so. It helps that the compositions aren't overly busy, only truly opening up the experimental gates on "Transcendental War: Battle Between Gods", which features some neat clean vocals alongside Daemon's familial rambling. His half shout - half growl approach reminds me of Made of Hate's Pathogen, of all things. He occasionally devolves into his more faceless black metal croak, but World ov Worms ersatz subject matter repeatedly pulls the vocals back toward it's more industrial origins.

There is honestly very little to complain about, with only "Terrordrome" failing to live up to the consistent standards being espoused by Zyklon here. Everything sounds massive enough, has a biting modern sheen, and serves as an archetype for the countless droves of post-apocalyptic death metal bands that would follow and adopt this album's aesthetics and ambiance ad nauseam. That alone should speak volumes towards the potency of World ov Worms' approach.

Norway's discovery of all things 'cyber' continues - 79%

erebuszine, May 11th, 2013

Well, it looks like Norway's discovery of all things 'cyber' is going to continue, as this record nods unapologetically in the direction of such trends, and clears up a few questions I had about the way that things would appear in the fallout of Mayhem's last album. But in case you were wondering, this is not going to be a negative review. I don't see the point of 'criticizing' this like everyone else... to tell you the truth, I'm overjoyed that Samoth (here as Zamoth, cute) could finally let himself loose from Ihsahn's aesthetics and get down to writing some grinding death metal - something that he has obviously been pining to do for quite a while. Because of the last Peccatum release it is impossible for me to view Ihsahn in the same way that I had before... and if Samoth can break away from that man's influence, more power to him. He has been talking about his admiration for early death metal in the press over the last few years... however, this isn't typical late-20th century death in any way - it tends to 'look ahead' all the while, never back to what has come before unless it is to deliberately include the past as in influence in shaping the future. This music is synthetic, flexible, eager to include new influences. It will be noticed, I am sure, that when we talk about the past of Norwegian metal, we are also talking about Samoth's own history. They are one and the same. But Norway, Samoth seems to be saying, must embrace an evolution - a forward-looking revolution - and it must do this right now. Instead of climbing onto a soapbox or airing his views in print, he quite naturally picks up his guitar and leads by example. The first song, 'Hammer Revelation', makes this musical philosophy of his abundantly clear, as does the fifth, 'Zycloned', in its combination of overt savagery and elegiac, cold undertones. In these songs, as really through this opus's entire 40 minutes, there has been a concerted attempt on the part of these musicians to create something new for themselves, marrying all the progressive elements of Emperor, for example, with an untarnished-but-always-jaded taste for unmitigated aggressiveness. This is violent, of course, but not in the boring by-the-numbers fashion that most death bands are offering these days. Rote, routine brutality? No... there is real passion behind the music, or, at the very least, a very good simulation of the same. Most of all, in the material's stripped-down 'apocalyptics' there is a break with Emperor's symphonic superfluity... and one can imagine the pressure that Samoth must have felt (from general expectations, from his peers) to compose another Emperor album, but he seems (thankfully) to have completely ignored the stress of his critics. Think about that for a second. 'Hammer Revelation' and its initial WW III fusillade lets you know, right at the beginning, that this isn't Emperor. The opening of this album is beautifully planned.

For the wary: the 'cyber' element here is strictly in the background, and it is used to color the style of these songs rather than pencil in their general outlines. The strictures of electronica don't have much of a say when it comes to the actual aesthetics or structures of the songs... the samples, synths, and overt EBM elements are reserved for intros and interludes. Much like on the last Mayhem album, electronica seems to have been more of tool to be manipulated here (like any other musical tool or series of sounds) instead of a source of direct inspiration.

There is also a surprising world-weariness in these melodies that comes through in a very graceful manner, but whether it comes from Samoth's pen or some other source, I'm not exactly sure. I know that I like it - it seems honest to me, 'realistic' in a way that the last Emperor album was not. Let's just say that Zyklon is not an... optimistic band. Commendations go out to Bard Faust for letting his mind drift free of imprisonment and penning the lyrics, or 'death texts', as he calls them.

After listening to this a few times, you will begin to realize how expertly 'World ov Worms' blends the styles of death and black metal, and how the elements of both are borrowed (or distilled) to form something new, a new sound, a new possibility... but to tell you the truth, I don't think this is a 'new creation' as much as it is just a more open and honest expression of the style Samoth has always had. In his playing, in the past, he has usually seemed to effortlessly slip between the brutality of death and the 'far-looking' melodies of black metal. What is really interesting about this material is that it allows one to hear just how much of the prior Emperor music must have been his alone. Listening to this album, I gained a whole new level of respect for the man. His touch is light, deft, expertly prepared, and his rhythmic intensity is overwhelming. This is state-of-the-art metal guitar playing. And, as I was saying above, Samoth has not let go of his roots - there's a nice Thorns/Mayhem reprise riff in here (at 1:37-1:58 in 'Chaos Deathcult') - only the most obvious one - to steer your heads in the right direction. This record, again, can be seen as a manifesto in that respect: it seems to want to point the way to what must come in the future, while offering the obligatory bows to the past... but the past is alive, after all.

The best thing about these songs is that they do not seem at all 'rushed' or just thrown together...they exhibit a concentration on structural dynamics that is very refreshing... listen, again, to the opener, 'Hammer Revelation', especially the extended middle section with its slow-breathing sense of space and the relaxed way in which it builds a room full of atmosphere - a resting space - in between the all-out war of the end and the first strike of the introduction. What is this... solos? Harmony? Rhythmic variation? In modern death metal? But Samoth has always released 'quality' music... the Scandinavians seem to take the notions of 'form' and 'substance' - the 'work' in 'artwork' - much more seriously than anyone else. If it isn't original, it will at least be put together very well.

So, to sum up, of course a lot of this is going to remind you of Emperor - Samoth is one-half of that band, and his overall guitar sound has not changed that much here - perhaps on purpose, perhaps not. This album was also recorded in the same studio as 'IX Equilibrium'. All of the little trills, flares, tweaked harmonics, etc. from Emperor are here, but this material adds a new level of ultra-violence in the writing that makes those sorts of guitar tricks take on a new meaning... it will be interesting for me to see how this band will progress... will they incorporate a few more electronica influences? Will the black metal resurface? They seem to have a choice of a lot of directions to go in, unlike Emperor - in my eyes that band died a long time ago. Zyklon, with the wealth of talent and musical vision that it has collected (in the form of some of Norway's most talented musicians), seems poised to start the sort of revolution that this country desperately needs if it is going to escape the death throes of black metal. Listen to this album and tell me that Zyklon are not offering, at least, one viable solution.

UA

Erebus Magazine
http://erebuszine.blogspot.com

Still no reason to inhale the dirt - 78%

autothrall, June 25th, 2010

Why'd they drop the 'B', and when did Marilyn Manson's destitute cousin begin bathing in maggots, anyway? These were my thoughts after purchasing the debut of Zyklon, one of Norway's first super black metal super groups to truly depart on their own, stirring up a wealth of international buzz. With a core of Samoth (Emperor), Trym (Emperor, Enslaved, Tartaros) and Destructhor (1349, Myrkskog), and Daemon Vidar of Limbonic Art on vocals, it was not difficult to envision the sounds that might erupt from this debut: harsh, fast-paced black metal ala Myrkskog or Emperor with Samoth's sweeping and probably some modern or progressive edge to the writing.

World ov Worms in fact all of these things, and more, as it settles nicely between the genres of extreme, melodic black and death metal, putting a cold, industrial sheen on the proceedings that has little to do with pulsing beats of machinery, but everything to do with the destructive, post-apocalyptic aesthetics captured through the relentless sound. There is no real relation to Samoth's former side project Zyklon-B except in name alone, if anything this is a precision mesh of Morbid Angel and Myrkskog, bringing the bear much of the same, cataclysmic payload as the latter's Deathmachine, with a few segues of spoken, male/female vocals courtesy of Trickster G of Ulver and Persephone.

The opening track, wonderfully titled "Hammer Revelation" serves as a connect-the-dots lesson in everything Zyklon will be using to crush your ears. Blasting, warlike drums courtesy of one of the most machine-like human beings in the extreme metal camp, Morbid Angel style guitars that crash into the eerie minor chord streams typical of Norse black metal, mostly black metal vocals, and some solid sweeping patterns, leads and a little more melody than one might have expected. "Deduced to Overkill" is about half as long, blasting chaos with a better mix of the black and death growls. 'The death ritual begins...' is the sample which anoints the bludgeoning flattery of "Chaos Deathcult", one of the better songs on this album, and by this point you are convinced that, similar to Destructhor's other entity Myrkskog, this is not a band all that interested in giving the listener a chance to breathe.

"Storm Detonation" splatters across the scene with a very mechanical, industrial thrash metal feel to it, and this is yet again another one of the album's finest, with a monolithic architecture created through the rampant melodic evils that stretch between the molten fires of creation. "Zycloned" includes a pure, industrial metal breakdown which took me quite by surprise, in fact I found myself wishing they had included more parts like this on the album overall. But with "Terrordrome", the band is back in the fast lane, thankfully with some superior riffing to several of the other tracks, and this is perhaps one of the band's more iconic career songs. "Worm World" is rather forgettable, apart from the "Chapel of Ghouls"-like breakdown in the bridge with some creepy keyboards, and the closer "Transcendental War: Battle Between Gods" is notable for some strong riffing patterns, and Trickster G joining the band with some soaring, guest cleans.

The mix of the album is pretty much perfect to convey its sinister diaries of Armageddon, though I felt like the bass took a backseat much of the time, which strangely does not affect the balance of aggressive speed and impressive guitar work. The use of samples is tasty, and the band is clever enough to sprinkle the compositions with enough colliding, shifting dynamics that one is held in furor throughout much of the 41 minute length, without the ballistic overkill that a record might suffer if it were simply about speed and execution, with no lyrical bent or ability to consume the listener in a conflagration of inspiration. Half of the tracks are excellent: "Storm Detonation", "Chaos Deathcult", "Terrordrome" and "Transcendental War", and the rest are good enough to fill in the blanks.

I imagine there were individuals who felt this band would leave both Emperor and Myrkskog in the dust, but it's really just a fusion of the infernal energies that drove both acts, and one can surmise that it offered just enough 'out of reach' of the members' main bands that it had to occur to curtail some measure of ambition. Considering the popularity of the more unforgiving, technical ends of death or black metal, especially here in the States, this sort of project was surely in demand, so Samoth and crew were positioned to explode.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Not a bad first effort - 81%

Atarisegatendo, December 4th, 2005

You are the guitarist and drummer in one of the most legendary Black Metal bands in existence. Your band is about to break up after the release of your fourth studio album. You decide that you’ve not quite had enough yet, so you form another full time project together. Already, before writing a single note, expectations are extremely high. This is what was in store for the continuation of Samoth and Trym of Emperor, as they started down the path of their new band, Zyklon.

Recruiting Myrkskog front man Destructhor on lead guitars and bass and Limbonic Art vocalist Daemon on lead vocals, the band were fully operational and, with all of their lyrics penned by the renowned Bard ‘Faust’ Eithun (another Emperor link!), they released their debut album “World Ov Worms” in the very same year as Emperor’s final opus. Opening with a collection of chaotic samples and a disturbing greeting of ‘Welcome to the world of worms’, “Hammer Revelation” immediately begins to pummel the listener with a barrage of brutality. The twin guitar attack, paired with Trym’s technically precise and enraged drumming and Daemon’s furious screaming, make for an undeniably stirring overture.

Furthermore, although veering towards a more Death Metal orientation, the Black Metal roots of the band are still apparent throughout “World Ov Worms”, with an implausible employment of melody backing up each crushing guitar riff and blast beat. “Deduced To Overkill” continues with frantic pace and showcases some wonderful lead guitar work, along with further experimentation using samples. Also, “Chaos Deathcult” makes use of an electronic drum arrangement midway, effectively breaking up the rapid speed of the album and again emphasising a sense of progression. This is a band that is evidently seeking to eventually lose the Emperor tag and, with such a development in their sound, such independence will be far easier to grapple.

Although lacking a huge amount of variation between tracks in terms of speed and brutality, with songs like “Storm Detonation” and “Terrordrome” for example not standing out hugely in amongst the structure of the album, it is nonetheless evident that each track is of a high quality of musicianship and proficient expertise. In addition, the album’s closer “Transcendental War – Battle Between Gods” undoubtedly comes under one of the greatest Death Metal finales of all time, most likely leaving the listener stupefied. Rather minimally, “World Ov Worms” will almost certainly appeal to most fans of brutal Death Metal. Yet, whether it will give the same enjoyment to fans of Emperor’s ‘sophisticated’ style of Black Metal is somewhat more doubtful.

Not bad, but still a waste of talent - 80%

PazuzuZlave, November 20th, 2005

Zyklon is the perfect example of as when a side-project become a full-time band, it easily steals focus from the members’ main bands. Although none of those bands had reached their full goals when Zyklon evolved from merely a side-project to a thunderous death machine, it still feels it was the right way for them to go.

This is a fun album rather than a lost opportunity, although it’s flawed in several ways. Very mature at its stage, “World ov Worms” delivers a very different side to death metal than most people are used to. That being said, this album is definitely not for everyone. The shade of black metal occasionally sneaks into the song-writing here, but generally it is classifiable as death metal. If they only knew how to make it work properly…
There are some very talented people in this band, and it clearly shows in terms of quality in practice. The main problem is that the material sometimes sound a bit harshly put together, and it doesn’t fit very well all the time.

“Hammer Revelation”, the opener, introduces us to this new genre, and it does a great job at it. Violent and soothing at the same time, it really exemplifies what this album could have been. How one chooses to look at things doesn’t change the fact that everyone involved in this project play, scream and pound at their best on this song. Even the lyrics are the best ones in “Hammer Revelation”. Faust contributed lyrics to this album, and he offered some very deep, logical ones, which then were altered by the band. These are some of the best lyrics I’ve ever read. After the opening track, it’s all downhill. “Deduced to Overkill” & “Chaos Deathcult” offer some good riffage and brutal drumming, and are considered good songs by me, but the first let-down come in shape of track nr. 4 ; “Storm Detonation”. The problem is it drags way too much for it to be enjoyable, and it seems as they somewhat used it as filler. “Worm World” is also an enjoyable song, as the band has taken advantage of their talented guitarists, and made them play somewhat crazy patterns. The closer also acts very much as filler, and is not worth mentioning.

Maybe if this album had been shorter it would’ve been a greater success. So is the case, obviously, because the weaker songs sound atrocious. They could easily have cut this album down by twelve minutes by removing the bad songs. It’s really a shame how often this happens. Good musicians, great sound, and a few stellar songs. The rest is filler. Still, this is worth buying for the best tracks alone.

Outstanding tracks : Hammer Revelation, Deduced to Overkill & Worm World