Wrong - Memories of Sorrow
Suicidal Black Metal… the Wormed way. That’s right, curious reader. Phlegeton, vocalist for what many consider the most over-the-top brutal and insanely technical Death Metal band in the cosmos, has a SDBM side project, and Memories of Sorrow marks an extremely impressive debut. Believe it or not, I always sensed an underlying worship of Negativity hidden deep inside Wormed’s whirlwind of mind-boggling speed and fretboard trigonometry. And whenever devotion is pledged to my beloved Goddess, homage paid to the mighty Katatonia is never far behind. Rest assured, the melodies of “Through This Slit” ring through like Brave Murder Day on acid. In addition to a very formidable Black Metal cackle, Phlegeton also gets to show off his drumming skills. He may not be Riky, but to say he knows his way around a blastbeat and a double-bass pattern would be an understatement. David Perez (ex-Neverdie) completes the duo by handling everything but drums and vocals; his miserable icy riffage unleashing downcast bitterness on “I Prefer So” and “I Want to Hear You Scream,” his subtle backdrop of haunting piano serving to enhance the overall sadness throughout. It would not surprise me at all to discover some Thranenkind, Heretoir, and maybe even a little Self-Inflicted Violence dwelling within these Spaniards’ playlists. Meanwhile, “Now I Remember” resumes the Katatonic invocation, yet also utilizes Scandinavian Second Wave frost and chanted Rotting Christ-like ambiance. Memories of Sorrow kills happiness dead —now I feel like cutting my wrist— and possesses a higher quality of musicianship than many records of this ilk are graced with. Of course, that should come as no shock considering the personnel. For all intents and purposes, skip the first track. “They Look at Me” is an awkward 6-minute soundcheck compared to the melancholy mastery the rest of the album has in store.
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