AN NCS PREMIERE: WORMFOOD — “COLLECTIONNEUR DE POUPÉES”

Fifteen years from the beginning until now. That is the measure of Wormfood’s existence, though the band’s composition has been boiled down and risen again during that time, coalescing around the vocalist/guitarist El Worm (Emmanuel Lévy). Posthume was this French band’s last album (in 2011), and the new one is named L’Envers. Some songs from L’Envers have appeared already, and we have another one: “Collectionneur de Poupées“.

The band’s members since about 2010 have also contributed creatively to such groups as Abstrusa Unde, Melted Space, Öxxö Xööx, and Régiment. If you know anything about those bands, or about Emmanuel Lévy’s work in Erdh, you’ll know that Wormfood doesn’t follow a straight path. And on this new album, they’re joined on their unorthodox course by guest artists Paul Bento (ex-Type O Negative, ex-Carnivore, Wrench) and Axel Wursthorn (ex-Carnival In Coal).

Lévy’s voice dominates the music, a mix of decadent, demonic grating and chilling, gothic purity. As he solemnly intones words with gravel-throated gravity and rises up in wavering wails, the band behind him move from glimmering lurches to gloomy rocking revels. It takes little imagination to envision clouds passing across the moon, blood spilling in the silvered shadows, phantoms rising in the mist.

This is theatrical music that changes its wardrobe like a quick-change artist, or a chameleon that’s more of an avatar than anything found in nature. It will hook you or it won’t, but if it hooks you, you’ll have to dig it out with a knife because it sinks deep. I have some scars of my own to prove it.

L’Envers will be available on May 20, 2016, from Apathia Records in both CD and digital formats. To pre-order, go here:

http://shop.apathiarecords.com/en/bands/4_wormfood

http://www.wormfood.fr
https://www.facebook.com/wfood

http://www.apathiarecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/apathiarecords