Their Worm Never Dies

After listening to this album, I'm surprised the band doesn't generate more interest. This isn't old-school death metal, and it's neither melodic nor one of the ultramodern, djent-influenced modern prog-death acts, which have moved pretty far from their roots. This is progressive death metal that saw its heyday in the early 90s, and which vanished all too soon. Needless to say, there's a lot of latter-day Death influence here; although Their Worm Never Dies isn't quite as raw, the jazzy flavor of the riffing and the breathtaking musicianship exhibited by the veterans that make up the band show certain similarities. The drummer is Nile's George Kollias, which might be all some listeners need to know when it comes to the skins department, but the guitar work is also beautiful, especially on the title track, a slow, lead-ridden instrumental of the sort that 80s metal bands were seemingly required to put as the fourth song or so on their albums. This one ends ends in a concentrated burst of staccato riffing, a powerful and jagged sound which, paired with the harmonized guitars, never fails to impress. Kollias's vocal style, a soft croak that supports the instruments without overwhelming them, is nonetheless authoritative, snapping sharply in between the fanciful soloing. Nor do the other tracks stick slavishly to the band's past influences, or the styles of their members' previous bands. There's a wide range of songwriting here, and softer intros such as The Petition vie with drum-heavy blasters like Among the Misled. Listeners who appreciated Death's progressive era, and would prefer a little Cynic influence thrown in as well, should pick this one up.