"Dirge" - Wormrot

It was a good day when I lurked over to Earache Record's US webstore and learned that the Singapore grinders, Wormrot, had released a second album. After the 22 minute masterpiece Abuse that was released in 2009, I was eager to get into round two.

What differed from my previous encounters with albums is that Earache was simply giving this album out. FOR FREE! I know. I know. No mediafire necessary for this one. Their marketing technique was interesting. Give out a high quality digital release of the album for free in the hopes that people will spend the $20 to get a limited pressing of colored vinyl or a t shirt. Well Earache. You win. I bought two. They knew everyone was going to steal their shit so why not promote the physical products that people still want? Genius.

At first glance, you at least have to give major props to Andrei Bouzikov for the majorly brutal album art. It screams Cannibal Corpse in gore yet lacks the shitty middle school artistry we've come to stomach from CC all these years. The ruin in the background coupled with the melting flesh would indicate some type of war bombing. Fuck if i know. If it is, it's politically driven like much of Wormrot. The attention to detail in the flesh wounds and rubble are astounding. Bouzikov's imagery is disgusting and I love it.

Next the title of the album is, in it's own right, a winner. In case you didn't already know a dirge is not a delicious fruit, but a style of song played during a funeral procession. How fucking brutal is that?

The brutal keeps on coming. Warming you up with No One Gives A Shit, the grinders three pile drive you into the thrash of Compulsive Disposition. I have no idea how they do it. Every single track on the album is fresh. They never seem to be repeating themselves like most other grind gods before them. Song after song you're thrown something totally new. Major blast beats, thrash, guitar solos. A large part of this bands success comes from their drummer, Fit's, bottomless grab bag of beats and the bands ability to change movements without taking (or giving) a breath. Everything is unrelenting until Deceased Occupation where the band falls into this dark groove. Of course it doesn't last long. Every song is under 2 minutes. The album wraps it all up with A Dead Issue and The (well titled) Final Insult as a victory lap.

It's a very solid album. The recording quality is a definite step up from Abuse but it lacks bipolar nature it had track to track. Dirge flowed. It started with a drone introduction and left you with a pissed stomp with many ear fucks in between. Abuse was like your ADHD cousin after the christmas cookies had been laid out. Dirge was a mature and slightly more refined piece of work.

The stand outs were as follows: Spot A Pathetic, Evolved Into Nothing, Principle of Puppet Warfare, and Manipulation.

4 1/2 out of 5

Eric