Worm // Necropalace // Album Review

The kings of gothic doom, Worm, have returned!

Formed in 2012 & from the USA, Worm started out their early days as a dark black metal project, but in 2019, with the release of their “Gloomlord” album, saw the band introduce death doom elements into their music. 2021’s “Foreverglade” and 2022’s “Bluenothing” EP saw the band create their most important & impressive releases to date. Reaching high on the top publications year end list.

Now, with their third full-length album, “Necropalace,” the band goes all in & create their most expansive & groundbreaking album to date.

“Gates to the Shadowzone” is the album’s introduction to what is about to be unleashed. A haunting keyboard melody fills the air, while a soaring lead section by Wroth Septentrion builds until the track’s peak, filling you with dread but also wonder. As the sounds echo into the night & the rain falls hard, “Necropalace” begins…

Right from the first few moments you are captivated by the track. Its grandiose feel lures you in.  Phantom Slaughter’s wretched vocal is fierce as ever but playing with the songwriting more they follow with the track even better then on earlier work. This track is a true journey. Its first half gives you heavy nostalgia of the early works from black metal kings Dimmu Borgir & Cradle Of Filth, while others give you that cavernous feel of Paradise Lost & Evoken.

When Worm teased new music fans were worried that the group might have been pushing back to their early raw black metal sound but this album is a the perfect mix of both sides of the coin which Worm effortlessly blends together. The addition of Wroth Septentrion in recent years & to the writing, performance & true guitar legend is all over the album but just in this title track his talent shines. Some of the most brain rattling whammy heavy solos you will hear this year, but also some of the most extensive & beautiful you will hear also.

This over ten minute epic has a great flow throughout, The drums on this track are another strong point to the band & this album’s sound. A very raw sound but has tones of clarity. Getting to hear every ride cymbal hit & the double kicks feel huge in tone is great. The album’s production is superb & the mix is perfect, why wouldn’t it be when it was handled by acclaimed producer Arthur Rizk (Blood Incantation, Power Trip).

For all those who like “Foreverglade”s sound more, “Halls of Weeping” feels like the continuation of that album. Slow, heavy stomping doom sections that feel like echoes of brutality if you will rattle the walls with its tone.

Wroth Septentrion’s opening lead section that feels like something face melting in the vein of Trey Azagthoth opens the track, with heavy synth the track perfectly sets the stage for what’s about to come. Slowly ramping to when the big heavy riff is introduced, a few passes before the whole track is a head banger’s wet dream. Knuckle dragging chugs with gorgeous keyboard sounds, only Worm can do something so polar opposite & make it something this beautiful.

“Dragon Dreams” is for those who love that sweet spot of late 90s & early 00s black metal. Immortal & Emperor has a choke hold on the scene at the time & this track is swimming in that progressive, symphonic & angelic sound.

Even with breathtaking acoustic sections this track’s range is all over the place but in the best way. It hits so many different moods but still stays cohesive in its overarching sound.

The album’s closer “Witchmoon: The Infernal Masquerade” feels like the perfect way to close this behemoth of an album. Featuring a guest appearance by vaunted guitar master Marty Friedman, this track has it all. An over fourteen-minute masterpiece, this track feels like the peak form of Worm. Harsh & haunting black metal elements and atmospheric, doom-filled moments are used at the right times, giving the track the most impact. With a track this long, it is hard to scratch the surface of its epic nature, but please make sure you give it its time. Because it might just be the best album closer this year.

Worm has joined the ranks of other bands, and with each release, it becomes a knife-edge question of whether the band will change their sound, build upon it, or just drop the ball completely. I’m so happy to say that, for me, Worm have done something rare: they have kept their core sound while building on it enough to bring in new fans to the album, and also give Worm a brief change in their sound. I miss the days when bands would release albums that added a different feel to their look, sound & overall aesthetic.

“Necropalace” perfectly walks the line between adding enough black metal to give the group an even more gothic jacket to wear, and being steeped enough in its dark, heavy & crushing death metal moments for the overall sound to be ungodly.

Review: Joseph Mitchell

Necropalace is out via Century Media on 13th February 2026