The madness a turmoil that swells up inside…
Your patience in our taking a week off was greatly appreciated, and now we return with more critiques for you to devour!
The views on this blog continue to hold steady, but are noticeably creeping up on a weekly basis. We deeply appreciate all of you taking some time to sit with our efforts as we know there is no shortage of metal blogs out there in the vastness of the Internet. If you continue to like what you see, please take that extra step and share the links with your friends, your facebook friends, or the cronies down at the local bar. Hell, we want to tell them about our metal listening habits as well.
For us the Worm Gear dudes, the weather is noticeably shifting to winter which means a bit more time should be freed up for our writing (mis)adventures. We have been waiting on a handful of interviews to return and will continue to chip away at this digital mountain of review material. This truly is our labor of love and mutual “poker night” that we all look forward to getting into every week. Looking forward to see what 2014 brings Worm Gear. So yes… we’re calling you out to get involved. Comments. Sharing playlists and discussions. Telling people about us. It all helps and keeps us working towards a bigger goal. Thank you.
There…. nothing poetic or fancy this week for the intro, but necessary all the same. Till next time, listen to some Edge of Sanity and maybe old Brenda Lee can fuck right off with her rocking around the christmas tree nonsense for another year… -Marty
Jim Clifton Playlist
The Exploited – Horror Epics
Black Flag – Everything Went Black
Fear – More Beer
Dead Kennedys – Frankenchrist
Lustre – Wonder
Forteresse – Les Hivers De Notre Époque
Horna – Ääniä Yössä
Agathocles – Mincer
Darkthrone – The Underground Resistance
Blood of the Black Owl / Celestiial – Split 12″
Marty Rytkonen Playlist
Infera Bruo – Desolate Unknown
Iced Earth – Horror Show
Ashes of Ares – S/T
L’Hiver en Deuil – Ter Aarde
Lvcifyre – Svn Eater
Arghoslent – Hornets of the Pogrom
Edge of Sanity – Crimson
Necromantia – Scarlet Evil Witching Black
Necros Christos – Doom of the Occult
Stargazer – The Scream that Tore the Sky
S. Craig Zahler Playlist
Magma – Üdü Wüdü
Blue Oyster Cult – Spectres
Magma – Üdü Wüdü
Blue Oyster Cult – Imaginos
Magma – Üdü Wüdü
Phil Lynott’s Grand Slam Studio Sessions
Magma – Üdü Wüdü
Automat – Automat
Magma – Üdü Wüdü
Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
Magma – Üdü Wüdü
Museo Rosenbach – Zarathustra
Magma – Üdü Wüdü
Museo Rosenbach – Barbarica
Magma – Üdü Wüdü
Anglagard – Hybris
Magma – Üdü Wüdü
Worm Gear 
Marty, how is that Ashes of Ares album. I heard a track on youtube and thought it was decent. I always liked Barlow’s vocals.
Shawn… I too love his voice. The swing in range is phenomenal! The Ashes of Ares S/T…. it admittedly took a few spins, but I ended up enjoying it. The whole album is “Good”, but things don’t start to get really good until track 5 and beyond. They don’t sound like Iced Earth which I’m sure was the point and expect a bit more of a growled aggression in Matt’s voice occasionally, but songs like “the Answer” and others are great in their commercial metal grandiosity. If you like all the bands that these guys collectively were in, you’re going to find that AofA fits like an old broken in shirt.
I anticipate their follow-up will be a bit more matured and gelled! Trying to decide if I want to send Matt an interview request…. would be interesting to get the power metal perspective on Worm Gear. Take care!
Somebody likes Magma lol. I love that Horror Show album. That was definitely getting some play time in October. Slow week here.
Gorgoroth – Under the Sign of Hell
Abigor – Supreme and Immortal is the Art of the Devil
Oak Pantheon/Amiensus – Gathering
Obliteration – Black Death Horizon
Manillla Road – The Courts of Chaos
Midnight Odessey – New Stuff
Convulse – Evil Prevails
Binah – Hallucinatin in Resurrecture
Burzum – Fallen
Shemhamforash – Luciferi Omnis Yisghda
Bones – Sons of Sleaze
Crematory – All Demos
Unnamed – Black Monk Dmeo
Undergang – Til Doden Os Skiller
Anatomia – Decaying in Obscurity
Engulfed – Through the Eternal Damnation
Cauldron Black Ram – Skulduggery
Obliteration – Nekropslams
Cleric – Gratum Inferno
Thorns of Carrion – The Scarlet Tapestry
Skelthal – Morbid Ovation
Stargazer – The Scream that Tore the Sky
Blizaro – Complication CD
Order of the Solar Temple
Kyrpts – Unending Degradation
Gotta second the Üdü Wüdü, and Christian Vander’s facial expressions!
Blackdeath – Phobos
Winterblut – Grund: Gelenkkunst
Dodheimsgard – Supervillian Outcast
Bifrost – Tor in eine neue Welt
Himinbjorg – Haunted Shores
Voivod – Target Earth
Enslaved – Blodhemn
Kaviar Kavalier – Musik aus Ordinationen
Candiru – Unloved and Weeded Out
Laurel Halo – Chance of Rain
Euphoric Defilement – Ascending to the Worms
Zephyr – Sunset Ride
Cellular Chaos – Cellular Chaos
Gasp – Drome Triler Of Puzzle Zoo People
Fate of Icarus – Suffocate the Angels
Judas Priest – Turbo
Oh Land – Wishbone
Om Unit – Threads
Windham Hell – Reflective Depths Imbibe
Citron – Radegast
I purchased a download of the AoA yesterday and have given it quite a few spins. I really enjoy it. This is probably not a big surprise as I like both Iced Earth and Nevermore and these guys while not sounding like either are in the same vein. I am just glad to hear Matt Barlow involved in some project. He is too talented of a vocalist to not be doing something. I hope this band is able to stay together for future releases.
I would welcome an interview request to Matt Barlow and wouldn’t mind seeing Wormgear give some coverage to other power metal bands. I enjoy a well done power metal album as much as a good album from any genre. There is a fine line between good and bad power metal, but I feel the writers at WG can definitely discriminate between the two.
it did take me a few passes initially through the album, but it totally clicked with me. It’s a really strong debut. There are some really great moments on this CD and Matt sounds really great. I think there will be more AoA albums. Obviously this is in Matt’s blood and his “normal” career isn’t beating that desire out of him. We are fortunate that his family allows him to go out and pursue this dream. I have been toying around with interview questions for a week now. I guess I’ll reach out to Matt and see if he’s into it.
Just checked out the new Zemial and Atlantean Kodex, discussed on this site…
Zemial is good but too long, and kind of dies a few times in its explorations. And I supposed the end track of silence is a “cover” of the John Cage composition 4:33 in which a piano player sits in front of a piano and did nothing for 4:33 seconds? Some good stuff on here— especially the drumming and space rock—though the riffing is a bit generic thrash-chugging and could use more variety. The drumming is fun as shit.
The new Atlantean Kodex is good, though excepting the last couple of tunes, almost entirely about vocal ideas over resounding waves of guitar, rather than chiseled or memorable) riffs. The recordings still seem well below what a band like this should have—this doesn’t even sound as rich as The Golden Bough— the drums sound like a demo recording and the guitars are too hazy and compressed, but overall, the third good album by these guys.
Shawn… Ashes of Ares interview is happening. Matt agreed to do the interview and I have already sent him the questions. Pretty psyched!
Marty…cool to hear on the interview! I look forward to reading it in the future. Matt seems like a pretty cool guy in the interviews I have seen and read with him in the past. Can’t wait to see him get the WG treatment. Nice job!
It is done already and will be published on Wednesday.
Wow that was fast.