Artist: Wormrot
Album: TNT (Live)
Label: Earache Records
Link: https://earache.com/collections/wormrot
Style: Metal, Punk
Formed in Singapore in 2007, Wormrot was noticed a few years later by Digby Pearson, head of the Earache label, through one of their songs published on a webzine compilation. Impressed by the quality of their first album, originally released in 2009, he signed them and helped them quickly get noticed by the specialized press, particularly with their second album, which led to some great international tours. Today, they are one of the leading figures of the Grindcore scene and are considered by aficionados of the style to be one of the ten best bands in this genre of music.
Grindcore is characterized by fast execution, which here results in twelve tracks fired off in nineteen minutes. This album sees the original line-up, minus the bassist, perform live tracks from their discography. Musically close to bands such as Carcass and Napalm Death, this album does not suffer from the absence of a bassist, as the live performance recorded at TNT Studio increases the energy of the three musicians tenfold. A veritable explosion, any track on this album could make even the most extreme moments of The Stooges sound like simple teenage pop songs.
With abrasive guitar and angular drums, the sound of this album is reminiscent of a cascade of metal objects colliding relentlessly. The singer’s vocals are more like screams or belches, resulting in a final product that is far from a shapeless mass of sound where everything blends together indistinguishably. While the first few seconds may give the impression of cacophony, the aggressive guitar riffs stand out perfectly, as does the fury of the drummer, whose cymbals rival the guitar in presence. Be careful, however, to start listening to this record at a moderate volume, to preserve your eardrums as well as your speakers.