Necrotica Like them or not, you have to give Wormrot props for the way they approach a creatively stubborn genre like grindcore. With every release, they expand their sound little-by-little while staying true to their roots, giving them a degree of stylistic freedom while managing not to alienate their core fanbase. However, the opening moments of Hiss were enough to tell me that they were going to take their sound to even darker, stranger places. Instead of storming the gates with fire and brimstone, “The Darkest Burden” introduces the album with murky ambient effects. It sounds as though you’ve been dragged into a deep, damp cave, with the constant fear that something or someone will attack you out of nowhere. It’s as if to say “get comfy", because you’ll be taken to some disturbing, unsettling locales for the next 32 minutes.

As one would expect, the aforementioned “attack out of nowhere” does come, in the form of the rest of the song. Vocalist Arif – who unfortunately departed the band before the album’s release – screams at the top of his lungs, as a barrage of double bass drumming and vicious guitar work helps to set the scene. This pretty much forms the stylistic thesis statement of the record; however, as I stated earlier, there are some interesting tweaks this time around. Of course, as far as experimentation goes, most people’s attention will be focused on the violin parts found on songs such as “Grieve” and the sprawling closer “Glass Shards” – for good reason too, as it’s not often that you hear an instrument like that in grindcore. However, what fascinated me more were the odd bits in which melody would take centerstage. “Your Dystopian Hell” may just be the best example, the combination of frantic blastbeats and melancholic guitar chords being highly reminiscent of All We Love We Leave Behind-era Converge. “Sea of Disease” takes things in an even more jarring direction, adopting a much slower pace and really letting those plaintive guitar lines ring out.

However, this isn’t to say that the band have compromised their trademark sound in the slightest. This shit is absolutely brutal, managing to be just as aggressive and bloodthirsty as the band’s previous efforts. While guitarist Rasyid and drummer Vijesh are excellent at their respective instruments, it’s Arif who steals the show here. The guy can do just about everything you’d hope for from an extreme metal vocalist: the piercing black metal shrieks? Check. Shouting and barking in the vein of traditional hardcore? Check. Stygian gutturals that sound like they came from the pits of hell? Check. I often find that his most effective moments vocally are the ones in which he doubles his highs and lows, such as on “Vicious Circle” and “Spiral Eyes”. Obviously a lot of death metal and deathcore vocalists double up their parts like that, but Arif just makes them sound utterly disgusting. However, as stated earlier, the other guys are no slouch either. Vijesh deserves a special mention, particularly for just how damn fast his drum work is; he might not necessarily be up there with Nile’s George Kolias or Cryptopsy’s Flo Mounier on that front, but damn if he doesn’t come close at times.

If there’s anything about Hiss that does come closer to traditional grindcore, it’s the short-track, short-runtime approach typical of the genre. Most of the songs get in and get out in a minute or two, which is especially effective in regards to the more experimental tracks. You get a nice smorgasbord of sorts: give the listener something cool and unique for a brief snippet, and then move on to the next cool idea. Unfortunately, with the departure of Arif, it seems as though the group’s future is now in the air. Will they continue to push boundaries, or will they revert back to a more straightforward take on their grindcore sound? I suppose only time will tell, but all I know is this: Hiss was one hell of a swansong for Arif to go out on with his time in Wormrot. These guys created a bold, experimental, and inventive record that takes a stagnant genre and turns it on its head, all while never forgetting where they came from in the first place.

siLLy puPPy When you think of Singapore, if you think of it at all (assuming you don’t live there!), you usually associate the balmy equatorial tiny city state as a lush green metropolis famous for its flower gardens and ethnic fusion of all things Asian. Extreme metal is certainly not what comes to mind but perhaps that cool song by Tom Waits does! Throw all those preconceptions out the window. WORMROT changed it all! Not only has this grindcore band put this tiny nation on the map in the world of extreme metal but this band has consistently delivered some of the highest quality examples of this caustic by taking the most hardcore sounds of early Napalm Death and creating a frenetic fury usually reserved for the techiest death metal bands.

Although this band started by five members in 2007, it would take a few demos, EPs and splits to get warmed up for the debut album ABUSE that erupted in 2009 from the city state on the tip of the Malay Peninsula. WORMROT has been terrorizing the uninitiated ever since which proves not to be too difficult thing to achieve in an area of the world that is more enamored with K-pop than the likes of Pig Destroyer. After several founding members jumped ship before this debut, ABUSE features only three members: vocalist Arif, guitarist Rasyid and drummer Fitri but together this power trio creates enough ruckus to wake the dead. WORMROT means business. Seriously.

On the surface WORMROT comes off as just another grindcore band that holds tight to the status quo. You know, frenetically sped up caustic guitar riffs, insane screamed / shouted vocals and percussive pummelation from hell all mixed up with nasty and vicious and often hilarious themes. While not exactly reinventing the wheel, WORMROT nonetheless mastered this demanding metal subgenre with apparent ease and takes the style to uncomfortable extremes. The star of this noisy show is clearly Arif whose vocal range was tailor made for this incessantly heavy musical madness. Between his high pitched screams, emphatic shouts and deathened guttural growls, his graceful transitions between the styles is a testament to the vitality that he carries within. Likewise guitarist Rasyid delivers a non-stop barrage of highly caustic distorted riff assaults that pop off like an AK-47.

Taking the music maturity to the next level would not be possible without the technically infused drumming wizardry of Fitri. While never deviating from the balanced musical flow of the instrumental interplay, this dude punishes his drum set to wickedly wild that he seamlessly delivers an incessant attack while throwing in sophisticated fills that bedazzle the imagination. The culmination of this trio (minus a bass sound but that’s not apparent) is sheer grindcore perfection at least in the delivery system. As i’ve already stated, originality isn’t the name of the game here. There are no weird extra sound flavors like on Pig Destroyer album nor are there deviations from the roller coaster ride of punk infused energy that only misses the 22 minute mark but fueled with high octane freneticism that is unrelenting in its rampage.

In the end, i doubt many grindcore fans are looking for art rock and just want to rock the fucking house with blastbeats, guitar rage and solidly squealed vocals that run the gamut of insane delivers. In that department WORMROT nails it with its exemplary delivery of grindcore splendor. This is a rare case where a band from a primarily non-metal part of the world has done its homework and exceeded its mentors in stamina and determination. This is what modern extreme metal is all about. Incessant energetic performances that are of Olympic athlete perfection. If ever there was a band that would make the perfect mascot for its home on Earache Records, no better candidate than WORMROT comes to mind because it’s not only those wriggling creatures that live in the dirt that will meet their demise. This will cause your brain to decay and force you to like it while it usurps your freewill. Nice job~!

Vim Fuego The cover of this album is quite striking. It is a shattered line drawing of a mentally shattered face, and is an apt representation of the music contained within.

Wormrot has always dealt in stripped back, no nonsense grindcore, and that is exactly what “Voices” delivers. Twenty songs, 26 minutes, it is an incredibly intense mindfuck. “Voices” will seem like white noise to many metal fans. Thanks for listening, but this is not for you. This one is for the grinders, the noise freaks, the explorers of sounds at the extreme edge of music. And for devotees of the extreme, it doesn’t get much better than this. The sound is clear and sharp, or at least as sharp as it is supposed to be. Being signed to Earache means the band has a recording budget and access to a decent studio. The distortion and filth is all meant to be there, and isn’t the result of recording in a garage with a wobbly old tape on an ancient Walkman.

And so, riff after meaty riff comes blasting out of the speakers, backed by frenetic, pinpoint accurate drumming, along with throat shredding, hyper-intense shriek/growl vocals.

Yes, there are songs here, and lyrics, obviously, but does it really matter? “Voices” is short, and should be listened to in one sitting. Music as violent and fierce as this is to be actively absorbed, not passively listened to.

UMUR "Noise" is a digital EP release by Singapore based grindcore act Wormrot. The EP was released for free through Scion A/V in September 2011. We´re talking a five track, 5:11 minutes long release, so if you´re not already familiar with the band´s music, this is a fast way of getting aquainted.

The music on "Noise" is aggressive crusty grindcore with occassional deeper growling brutal death metal leanings. The musicianship is excellent. We´re talking furiously fast-paced precision playing. Blastbeats but also D-beats and more rythmically challenging parts. The vocals vary between high pitched hardcore screaming and brutal growling and the combination works really well. The well sounding production where all instruments and vocals are audible, brings out the best in the music.

Considering the limitations of grindcore and the fact that this is a very short release, "Noise" features quite a few stylistic changes and successfully display what a great band Wormrot is. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is fully deserved.

J-Man Released the same year as their full-length album Dirge, Singaporean act Wormrot have also released a short, five-minute EP in the form of Noise. A "noisy" effort indeed, this short blast of grindcore is over before you even know what hit you, and the relentless blast beats and muddy guitar riffs make this a prime example of grindcore in its rawest form. I wouldn't label Noise as a particularly noteworthy release - it's far too short to leave a lasting impression on the listener and the music itself isn't anything particularly new - but it's another solid effort from Wormrot for sure. People who enjoyed Dirge should surely take advantage of this EP's free availability.

The music here is exactly what we've heard from Wormrot on Dirge. Expect angst-ridden, pissed-off, and just plain brutal grindcore with frequent hardcore tendencies. Frantic drumming, eclectic harsh vocal styles, and filthy guitar riffs make up this short EP, and Wormrot doesn't ever allow the listener to catch their breath. When I say that this EP is "like a punch in the face", I say that with complete seriousness - Noise is an extremely fast-paced and heavy adventure that isn't for anyone even remotely faint of heart. The raw, extremely unpolished production makes this EP even filthier, and I think it suits the music perfectly.

Noise may not be a revolutionary statement for the grindcore genre, but it's a decent EP that fans of Wormrot will definitely want to check out. I really wish that there were an additional ten minutes or so on this EP; at this current five-minute length it doesn't have nearly enough time to become a memorable experience. Especially when the music is this fast-paced, five minutes just doesn't give me enough of an adrenaline rush to make this EP particularly noteworthy. All things considered, 2.5 stars seems like a fair score for Noise. It is available for free download, though, so fans and skeptics alike should check it out - after all, one listen will only take up five minutes of your life.