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WORMPOST #454
 SAY HELLO TO DR. MALITY'S DUNGEON AND REBEL XTRAVAGANZA! Hello, humanoids! It's been a while. Yes, Wormwood Chronicles is still defunct, but the mind of Dr. Mality is always restless. I have two new projects to tell you about... First, I have started a blog called DR. MALITY'S DUNGEON where I continue my favorite sport of reviewing oddball metal and underground musical releases. This is a much more restricted project than Wormwood, as I am the only person crazy enough to be involved in it. This little page will continue to bring you reviews in my usual voice... It's been up for a while now and includes reviews of heavy hitters like METAL CHURCH, OVERKILL and CANDLEMASS along with up and comers like FRENZY, ACCURSED SPAWN and ASTHMA CASTLE! Hop over to the Dungeon and see what I'm talking about...it's the spiritual successor to the Torture Dungeon that ran here at Wormwood for many years. Speaking of Wormwood, I'm sure you fiends are familiar with the esteemed LORD RANDALL. Randall is now at the helm of a new webzine that I am happy to particupating in...REBEL XTRAVAGANZA ! This also follows in the time honored WC tradition of offering music reviews, interviews, even some horror themed articles but also featuring some of the latest news from the metal underground. You can consider it a Mality-endorsed sequel to Wormwood but featuring Randall's own unique perspective. These two sites will keep the flag of Wormwood flying in new and different ways! |
WORMPOST #453
 THAT'S A WRAP....WORMWOOD COMES TO AN END. READ ITS HISTORY HERE.... Well, my dear devoted Worm-fiends, we have come to the end of the road. This is the last Wormpost for the forseeable future. As Gandalf said, "I will not say do not weep, for not all tears are an evil." We have walked many strange paths and done many wondrous things together and I hope I have provided a little entertainment for you all. The Wormwood website will remain right where it is for now and every review, interview, article and abomination will remain intact. We have over 4500 reviews in the Torture Chamber and over 500 interviews with underground bands of all stripes. Plus many other goodies to explore. I would encourage you to keep an eye on the Wormwood Facebook page, which you can find HERE. I will continue to post nostalgic articles there, as well as music and film videos related to Wormwood. Plus any updates on the careers of Wormwood personnel. If you are interested in the 20 year history of this zine, including its humble origins in print, I direct your attention to the CHRONICLES OF WORMWOD, my history of the mag from 1998 to 2018. Long time followers will get a kick out of this for sure. Before we go and put out the lights for the last time, here is one final voyage into the WC Torture Chamber, with a lot of obscure acts who need more attention... FIEND "Seeress" BLUE HUMMINGBIRD ON THE LEFT "Atl Tlachinolli" YATRA "Death Ritual" BLOT & BOD "Ligaeder" DODSFERD "Diseased Remnants of a Dying World" |
WORMPOST #452
 AS THE END DRAWS NEAR, WE UNLEASH DR. MALITY'S TOP 20 OF 2018 Next week will mark the end of the Wormwood Chronicles. I will be posting my "Chronicles of Wormwood", a look back at the 20 year history of this zine But this week I'll look back at 2018 and post my picks for the 20 best releases of the year. In the past, all the members of the Wormcrew contributed (or tried to). With things gradually closing up shop, this year I decided to just publish my own picks and extend the list to 20. Here's a look at the Top 5...  1. DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN "And You Will Obey..." 2. IMMORTAL "Northern Chaos Gods" 3. FIEND "Seeress" 4. RODENT EPOCH "Rodentlord" 5. BLOOD OF THE SUN "Blood's Thicker Than Water" You can see the entire list HERE! The institution known as the Torture Chamber is also approaching its end. Here's this week's selection....next week will be the last! NEKROFILTH "Worm Ritual" RED DRAGON CARTEL "Patina" LEGION OF THE DAMNED "Slaves of the Shadow Kingdom" BLOOD OF THE SUN "Blood's Thicker Than Water" NAZRAK "Canticles Funebres" THE WANDERING ASCETIC "Crimson" |
WORMPOST #451
 THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES WITH NEW TORTURE CHAMBER REVIEWS... In just a few weeks, the Wormwood Chronicles will finally conclude its current run, but until that time, we are still churning out reviews in our celebrated TORTURE CHAMBER. Believe it or not, we have close to 5000 reviews gathered in this venerable cache...certainly one of the most prodigious collections of nefarious metal and perplexing prog on the planet! Well, here are the latest entries for you to peruse... CRIPPLE BASTARDS "La Fine Cresce da Dentro" SARGEIST "Unbound" LEADER OF DOWN "Cascade Into Chaos" DEVOURING STAR "The Arteries of Heresy" SONAMBULA "Bicefalo" DUNGEONHAMMER "Infernal Moon" FERUM "Vergence" VITRIOL "Pain Will Define Their Death" TYTUS "Rain After Drought" |
WORMPOST #450
 450TH WORMPOST BRINGS A VISIT FROM THE UNNAMABLE AND A DOUBLE SIZE TORTURE CHAMBER! This time around, we have DARK STARR taking a look at a newly released special edition of a film based on the works of H.P. LOVECRAFT, "THE UNNAMABLE". Adaptations of Lovecraft are notoriously dicey to pull off....how did this one turn out? Starr takes a look and lets you know if this "improved" version is worth your hard-earned dollars. Check out the review HERE! The countdown to the end of Wormwood is in earnest now and only a few more weeks to go before I wrap things up with a detailed look at the 20 year history of this homegrown horror! We also have double the amount of Torture Chamber reviews for you, so get ready to dig into this underground feast! UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS "Wasteland" BURNING WITCHES "Hexenhammer" HATE ETERNAL "Upon Desolate Sands" SLASHER DAVE "Frights" PALE DIVINE "Pale Divine" VALDUR "Goat Of Iniquity" UNLEASHED "The Hunt For White Christ" SHELTON/CHASTAIN "The Edge of Eternity: '88 Demo Sessions" FIFTH ANGEL "The Third Secret" OUTER HEAVEN "Realms of Inner Decay" PSYCROPTIC "As The Kingdoms Drown" APE VERMIN "Sonic Monolith" |
WORMPOST #449
 BRING AN UMBRELLA FOR THE DEVIL'S RAIN! This week we delve into the early 70's when the Devil ruled the box office to examine perhaps the most grandly Satanic movie of them all, "THE DEVIL'S RAIN"! I take a close look at this evil epic which featured the likes of William Shatner, Ida Lupino and Ernest Borgnine as CORBIS, the immortal high priest of Satan! This was also the movie that featured the "Devil's Pope", ANTON LA VEY, as "technical adviser". The movie was also infamous for its insane ending, where dozens of cultists melted into pools of colorful wax! Want to know more about this demonic drive-in masterpiece? Then grab your cross and jump in HERE! We will contine our journey into the darkest depths of film next week when DARK STARR looks at the special upgraded release of H.P. LOVECRAFT's chilling tale "THE UNNAMABLE"! And now for our weekly trip into the moldering reaches of the Wormwood Torture Chamber... MONSTROSITY "The Passage of Existence" EVOKEN "Hypnagogia" OUTRE TOMBE "Necrovortex" THE OCEAN "Phanerozoic I: Paleozoic" A FOREST OF STARS "Grave Mounds and Grave Mistakes" LUCIFERICON "Al-Khem-Me" |
WORMPOST #448
 ENTER THE GLOOMY WORLD OF EVOKEN! If rainy November days and open casket funerals are your cup of tea, you should enjoy LORD RANDALL's interview with America's morose masters of melancholy, EVOKEN! For decades this band has explored the world of funeral doom metal and their latest epic "Hypnagogia" is no exception to the rule. Randall brings plenty of Kleenex to his meeting with drummer VINCE VERKAY, who gives a very articulate description of what motivates the band and how they construct their masterpieces of slow motion heaviness. If you can handle the gloom, find out more HERE! Up next are a couple of excursions into the world of cult film. I take an in-depth look at the satanic 70's classic "THE DEVIL'S RAIN" while DARK STARR examines the film adaptation of H.P. LOVECRAFT's classic 'THE UNNAMABLE"! These are certainly the last Philm Phreaks articles we will be doing at Wormwood so don't miss! You'll also find even more gloom and doom in this week's edition of the Torture Chamber!!! STRIKER "Play To Win" WINDHAND "Eternal Return" GRISLY "The Spectral Wars" HATESPHERE "Reduced To Flesh" LOST TRIBES OF THE MOON "Lost Tribes of the Moon" VULCAIN "Vinyle" |
WORMPOST #447
 DARE TO ENTER THE HOUSE OF ATREUS! Prepare to enter a realm of monsters, myths and metal as I interview Minnesota's HOUSE OF ATREUS! This innovative death metal band has flown under the radar the last few years but has managed to turn the heads of discerning listeners with their unique brand of mayhem that is based on classical mythology and art. I sit down to a conversation with singer ANXIETOUS NERO who reveals the legendary sources of inspiration for the band, including the story of mad king IXION which is the basis for their new album "From the Madness of Ixion". This is a harrowing journey into the past for you enlightened souls to experience HERE! Yes, the end of Wormwood is still approaching, but we have a few more weeks of unorthodox entertainment for you all so stay tuned... Here are some of the latest victims of the Wormwood Torture Chamber.... BEYOND CREATION "Algorhythm" BRAINOIL "Singularity To Extinction" CAULDRON "New Gods" HOUSE OF ATREUS "From The Madness of Ixion" THE PINEAPPLE THIEF "Dissolution" KOMMANDANT "Blood Eel" |
WORMPOST #446
 Well, friends and fiends, it is with a lot of regret and tons of soul searching that I announce that the Wormwood Chronicles will be coming to an end soon. 20 years is a hell of a run and beyond anything I could have imagined when I started the publication as a paper zine that I stapled together myself in my bedroom. It will be incredibly hard to leave behind. In the last couple of years, it's become evident that it is not quite reaching the goals I set for it and I don't want to have it deflate like a punctured balloon. It's tough delivering consistent results with a dwindling staff as well. When will Wormwood reach the end of the line? I foresee it ending at the end of December or perhaps early January 2019 at the most. I am seriously considering putting out some books that collect the best of the zine in a paper format and hope I can deliver this result. Until then, we do have quite a few reviews to put out as well as a few last features. The final article will be a history of Wormwood from first to last. This site will remain at its current location for a year and then it will be archived somewhere. Don't worry, a link will be provided. I want to thank all those who took time to look at or read WC over the years. I know we touched some people all over the globe and helped many worthy bands get some well deserved coverage. THANK YOU, HUMANOIDS! In the mean time....  PREPARE FOR A NEW REALITY WITH THE CYBERIAM! DARK STARR heads to the Windy City of Chicago to interrogate a futuristic new force in music known as THE CYBERIAM! This band is composed to musical veterans who have worked with some of the biggest artists in the world. The Cyberiam resembles none of those, however, and creates a fusion of prog rock, heavy metal, industrial and space rock. Starr talks to mission commander KEITH SEMPLE to discover programming secrets of this unique band and the origin of the unit. Press HERE for full disclosure... We also have a wide ranging Torture Chamber for you to explore this week.... DEADBIRD "III: The Forest Within The Tree" MASTER "Vindictive Miscreant" EXXXEKUTIONER "Death Sentence" GRAVE DIGGER "The Living Dead" VISIONOIR "The Wavering Flame of Oblivion" WITCHTHROAT SERPENT "Swallow The Venom" ALKYMIST "Alkymist" FOAMING AT THE MOUTH "Writhing" THRASHBOMBZ "Prisoner of Disaster" |
WORMPOST #445
 A CHAT WITH THE "BLASTFATHER", PETE SANDOVAL OF TERRORIZER! In the world of extreme metal, few are more ground-breaking or influential than the "father of the blastbeat", MR. PETE SANDOVAL, the legendary drummer of MORBID ANGEL and TERRORIZER who broke the speed barrier with his ultra-fast beats. It was a real honor to talk to "Pete the Feet" for Wormwood. I discovered how he was able to recover from devastating back injuries to regain his former peak condition and even surpass it! We also talked frankly about his well-known belief in God and the Bible as well as the killer new Terrorizer disc, "Caustic Attack". Pete can talk as fast as he drums so strap in and hang on when you check out the interview! Some great new interviews are on the way to Wormwood as well! I got a talk with the mythological madmen from HOUSE OF ATREUS while LORD RANDALL has grabbed a chat with America's undisputed masters of funeral doom metal, EVOKEN! That's not all, as DARK STARR tells me he has managed to interrogate an exciting new Chicago band, THE CYBERIAM, who mix prog, metal, industrial and space rock. Next week a really major announcement is coming, which I wanted to do this week, but as you can tell, I'm running a bit behind. Stay tuned.... Because I've been running a bit behind, we have a mammoth double size collection of the Torture Chamber this week that's sure to keep you intrigued.... AXIS OF DESPAIR "Contempt For Man" URIAH HEEP "Living The Dream" OBSCURA "Diluvium" CIRCLES "The Last One" THE CYBERIAM "The Cyberiam" SCORCHED "Ecliptic Butchery" ARCHGOAT "The Luciferian Crown" BEHEMOTH "I Loved You At Your Darkest" CARNATION "Chapel of Abhorrence" ROAD WARRIOR "Power" CLITERATI/VIOLATION WOUND "Split 12"" |
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