Zyklon
World Ov Worms

That the modern landscape of extreme metal (and by extreme, I mean true death and true black) has remained within the purview of a few but very reputable names (Nile, Behemoth, Meshuggah), where of the old guard only Cannibal Corpse has survived, capable of resurfacing with heads held high after the advent of aberrations like metalcore, emo, and anything else more horrifying you can think of, is a fact. It is unfortunately also true that this battlefield, which has allowed the strongest to emerge, has left behind equally valid names that would have still had so much to offer. Such is the case with the Norwegians Zyklon, a band founded by Thomas "Samoth" Haugen and Trym Torson from the ashes of the defunct Emperor of Norwegian black metal. It’s 2001, and after a "Prometheus: The Discipline Of Fire And Demise" dominated by the titanic figure of Ihsahn and his witty symphonic prog-rock experimentations, Samoth's new band is joined by Anders “Destructhor” Mhyren, Myrksorg's guitarist with an "Azagthothian" touch, and Daemon, Limbonic Art’s bass player-singer with a terrifying voice. The debut of the new band is titled "World Ov Worms" and is a plutonium bomb ready to explode with devastating consequences. The album is an almost perfect fusion between death metal, black metal, and noise-industrial, which explodes after a cacophonic intro of mixed voices and an electrified female voice declaring, "Welcome to the world of worms!"

It’s the apocalypse. Samoth and Destructhor’s guitars are free to express all their destabilizing power, grinding out crushing riffs as sharp as red-hot steel razors, devoid of the oppressive presence of Ihsahn’s symphonies (although some keyboard hints appear here as well). Samoth leaves it to Anders's young axe (who has come to stand alongside the devil Trey Azagthoth on the latest Morbid Angel tours and is rumored to possibly join the legendary American band permanently) the task of weaving frenzied and luciferous solo patterns which perfectly complement his annihilating riffing, thus focusing solely on the rhythm. Trym is an earthquake train that engulfs everything in its path; it almost seems he has awaited this moment to truly unleash all the insane power of his infernal drumming. In the furious mix darts Daemon’s devastated/devastating voice, whose lacerating growls/screams truly seem to emerge from the worst of Dante's circles.

I don’t love overly meticulous and “track by track” reviews; I prefer to outline the general picture. And I can assure you that the picture before my eyes is a horrific spectacle of black/grayish shades, smeared with the corrosive acid of the most furious Norwegian black metal. "World Ov Worms" is a murderous concentrate of old-style black misanthropy, the most nihilistic death metal and break noise-industrial, which serve to enhance the murderous madness of the songs by contrast. Throughout the album's duration, there’s the sensation of being in the midst of the Apocalypse, in a ocean of black fire (the Black Flame is not dead yet!) that corrodes and burns, through the darkest and most ruthless nihilism, culminating in savage contempt for the human race. Zyklon manage to transport the dark mysticism and pagan fury of Morbid Angel into the Third Millennium, wrapping them in a futuristic patina with a dash of black hatred.

Subsequent albums "Aeon" (2003) and "Disintegrate" (2006), although still very good modern death metal albums, in my opinion, do not match the epidemic madness of the debut, a slight disappointment for a band that had so much more to offer. We can only wait for the release of the debut of Samoth’s new band (The Wretched End) and enjoy the fantastic "World Ov Worms," especially if the “usual” "Demigod" and "In Their Darkened Shrines" have finally tired you. Allow Zyklon too to find a place in your headbanger mind, only to have it slowly drilled by their devastating blend.