Style: melodic black metal, atmospheric black metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Windir, Moonsorrow, Borknagar
Country: Sweden
Release date: 7 August 2026

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Many of us get an unreasonable amount of joy from objectively mild surprises—think the canonical but outdated example of finding a five-dollar bill in your pants pocket after a wash. Or maybe the barista makes too much of that foo-foo coffee drink you embarrassingly enjoy, and you get a free upgrade. That hoodie you thought you lost reappears in some odd corner. Hell, Janice brings a couple of boxes of donuts to the office. These sorts of things seem to have an outsized impact in pushing up the ol’ happiness meter. 

Such is how I felt when stumbling upon Wormwood’s latest work: a two-track, sixteen-minute EP simply titled Å. The Swedish quintet have a distinct voice in the black metal scene, offering a proprietary blend of melodic riffs and solos, thick yet breathable atmospheres, a playful folkiness, and a slight progressive flair. Their 2024 LP, The Star, might not have landed on my year-end list, but it’s one of those records that has stuck with me since its release. I had heard nothing further about the band until, surprise, this little gem of an EP was served up to me by a streaming service that shall not be named.

Although Å continues the bouncy, blackened adventurousness of The Star, the EP certainly isn’t mere B-sides. Its two tracks—“Yra | Extas” and “Purposeless Geometry”—both cover immense sonic ground while remaining wildly accessible. Wormwood’s melodic mastery is on full display, even if the infernal tremolo-picked riffs and blastbeats that open the record initially made me think the group had changed up their sound on this one. Both tracks feature triplet-laden rhythms with soaring guitar lines complemented by expressive, almost goblin-like vocals and constantly groovin’ bass lines. These elements alone are enough to form a compelling atmosphere, but well-placed touches of synth and other bits of ambience make the listen intoxicating. Despite being dark, sometimes bordering on haunting, Å still holds lighter, spritely undertones—a lone candle flame dancing brightly and wildly in an old, cobwebbed house. The wonky, nearly dissonant first verse of ”Yra | Extas” contrasts wonderfully with the bittersweet yet bright ‘la la las’ delivered via choir at the start of “Purposeless Geometry”; the former’s vigorous riffs juxtapose the latter’s psychedelic bridge beautifully. This balance is nothing new for Wormwood, but it makes the EP captivating nevertheless. 

Looking beyond the atmosphere of Å, Wormwood manage to pack a bevy of standout moments into such a short runtime. Two and a half minutes into “Yra | Extas,” the band bring the intensity down for a jazzy, bass-driven bridge that somehow fits naturally between passages of blastbeats. Then, toward the song’s end, another mellow bridge breaks into a massively cathartic, trudging outro, decorated by a short and impressively shreddy guitar solo. “Purposeless Geometry” also holds its share of notable guitar playing, primarily in Gilmour-esque moments that wouldn’t sound out of place on an oddly dark Pink Floyd cut. The track also features particularly slick drumming, with excellent cymbal work adorning ever-shifting rhythms. Zooming out, the compositions of both songs are winding and elaborate, but the many sections fit together seamlessly. And still, as expected, the EP’s meloblack foundation is top-notch. Perhaps above all else, Wormwood do a fantastic job of taking the listener on a journey that is at once both epic and effortless—quite the feat when working with a mere sixteen minutes. 

Ultimately, Å is only two tracks offered in the middle of a year stacked with strong releases—an unexpected five bucks in my jeans, so to speak—but damn do I enjoy it. Little nuggets like this make our time spent toiling in the underground worthwhile. Maybe Å doesn’t quite land with the impact of a full LP, and maybe it’s textbook Wormwood with a few new bells and whistles, but I’ve still gotten an unreasonable amount of joy from it.

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Recommended tracks: Both of ‘em
You may also like: Finsterforst, Dordeduh, Negură Bunget
Final verdict: 7.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Black Lodge Records

Wormwood are:
– T. Rydsheim (guitars)
– J. Engström (guitars)
– Nine (vocals)
– Oscar Tornborg (bass, backing vocals)
– Simon Samuelsson (drums)
With guest:
– Ingvild Rydsheim (choral vocals on “Purposeless Geometry”)