Style: atmospheric/symphonic death/doom, blackened post metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Emperor, Mournful Congregation, Ahab, Tomb Mold
Review by: Andy
Country: international, United States-FL
Release date: 20 October 2023
Splits are perplexing; I understand collaborating with your friends, but stitching together essentially disconnected EPs with them seems a bit like making a child with random body parts you found a là Dr Frankenstein instead of doing it with some good old-fashioned sex. Two bands may seem compatible, but in such close proximity it can have the opposite effect, almost like an organ transplant rejection; stylistic and writing inconsistencies may be amplified. Dream Unending and Worm are both nominally death/doom, but the lofty spiritualism of the former may be at odds with the grimy, Florida-ness of the latter. Can they possibly work in tandem to amplify each other’s immense talent and vision?
Dream Unending’s contribution to Starpath is two epic, heady tracks replete with transcendent melodies and atmospheric heft. Nary fifteen seconds goes by without some otherworldly chord, Mournful Congregation-like aching guitar lead, or superior bass lines creeping through the speakers. Both tracks move with a cetaceal weight in the tidal doom sections that drown you and in the more post metal parts that sweep you away with their dreamy lilt. Derrick Vela’s (Tomb Mold) guitar is eminently pretty, and the almost new age bass parts, also courtesy of Vela, juxtapose with the more funereal doom sections perfectly. The aching, gloomy melodicism of Dream Unending expertly hits the dreamy psychedelia vibe they seem to aim for in this project, achieving an impeccable vibe similar to Fires in the Distance; listen to 4:30 in “If Not Now When” if you need convincing.
Worm, on the other hand, have upped the energy from their already impressive earlier output. “Ravenblood” begins with a mouth-wateringly tasty Emperor riff fed through a death/doom filter. This black metal influence actually permeates their entire half of the split except when Wroth Senteptrion (a.k.a. Phil Tougas of First Fragment and like a million other bands you should check out asap if you aren’t intimately familiar) decides to let his inner shred-god out—then, Worm, berobed in baroque splendor, are turned into the sickest doom band on the planet. Worm certainly abandoned a bit of their outright death metal heft on Starpath, but the resulting product is a more polished, epic gem more befitting of my prog metal taste than before—how can you not be romantic for First Fragment cum Ahab cum Emperor? Any excuse to hear shred-god Tougas make sweet love to his guitar immediately gives me extreme bias toward a project. Worm’s new direction was foretold a bit by the Bluenothing EP, but I didn’t expect how regally symphonic they’d become, and they’re better off for it.
Together, though, Dream Unending and Worm aren’t firing on the same wavelength despite the material on Starpath easily comprising the bands’ best material. The contemplative, ethereal movements of the rolling epics of Dream Unending are spiritually different from the bombast of Worm’s side. Worm certainly feels a bit more frivolously flashy on Starpath, not that that’s a bad thing inherently, but the psychedelic buildup Dream Unending had going is instantly stopped in its tracks as soon as “Ravenblood” starts. This fundamental problem with the split as a formal constraint makes both sides feel stronger in isolation than together, and I wonder why not either fully collaborate or just release separately. The philosophy underlying each band’s style is just different.
I would have appreciated a stronger sense of cohesive, meta-album flow without a doubt. From the album cover to the title, I think Dream Unending hit the proper vibe more than Worm even if Worm’s side is probably an even sicker musical manifestation of excellence. Either way, both bands sound phenomenal with vibrant, clear production, and the performances from both groups—especially those guitars—are as talented as any tech death band you’ve ever heard. All told, Starpath is a truly fantastic metal album despite its constraints, especially since I get to harass Chris about doing my Worm.
Recommended tracks: So Many Chances, If Not Now When, Ravenblood, Sea of Sorrow
You may also like: Kayo Dot, Rise to the Sky, Void Ceremony, Cthe’Illist, Lunar Chamber
Final verdict: 8.5/10 (despite both sides being like 9/10)
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Metal-Archives page
Label: 20 Buck Spin – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website
Dream Unending/Worm are:
– Phantom Slaughter (vocals, guitars, keyboards (Worm))
– Wroth Septentrion (guitars (Worm))
– Justin DeTore (drums, vocals (Dream Unending))
– Derrick Vela (guitars, bass (Dream Unending))
0 Comments