Goreworm – The Path to Oblivion (CDN Records)

Friday, 9th March 2018
Rating: 7.5/10

Completely embracing the ‘short but sweet’ ethos, Canada’s Goreworm bring forth their debut EP, The Path to Oblivion. The 6-track, under 20-minute romp provides an introduction that most bands should strive for. There’s a feeling of satisfaction when it ends, yet you are amped up to the point where you just want to see where they go next.

An all-encompassing death metal blanket surrounds Goreworm’s sound. It’s quite possible that you could list influences from a menacing pile of varied death metal walks of life, from brutal and slamming material to technical/progressive, to even more melodic and progressive tones. That’s merely the ground work, and for their first release, the way that Goreworm handles these sounds is commendable. Of course, the main purpose of The Path to Oblivion is that of snarling brutality and it’s a successful venture, but the outside sources allow the tracks to feel like songs instead of a one-dimensional bludgeoning. After a short melodic opening (“Rest in Piss”), the band takes no prisoners from the opening moments of “Wombraider,” with frenetic blasts, monstrous riffs, and guttural vocals create a menacing flurry. But some slightly melodic bends with even shorter tracks like “Beneath the Plastic” help keep them afloat and interesting. Speedy tempos, but with catchy leads/melodies mark “Final Nightmare” as one of the EP’s strongest tracks, even as it slows to grinding and groovy territory there’s a sense of flow and purpose. So it can maintain a brutal edge, but memorability is still of importance.

A bit of something for every death metal fan awaits with The Path to Oblivion. It’s grounded with ferocity, but it will also stick with you after it ends. A worthy beginning for Goreworm, let’s see where they go from here.

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