TWO CULT HORROR REVIEWS FOR YOU FIENDS!
Our boy DARK STARR has once again dipped into the vaults of cult horror and come up with some new reviews for the Philm Phreaks section. First he takes a look at a devilish slice of 70's Satanic cinema "THE BROTHERHOOD OF SATAN", starring the great STROTHER MARTIN as Lucifer's top dog on Earth. Check that out HERE. Then we go back to the good old days of high school....or maybe they weren't quite as great as we remember them? Especially if you went to Central High. That's right...he takes a look at the violent cult feature "MASSACRE AT CENTRAL HIGH", which dishes up a sizable amount of social comment to go along with plenty of blood. That one you can find HERE.
Starr tells me there's even more on the way, so look out soon for reviews of the insane zero budget gore flick "SLAUGHTERDAY" and the more contemporary psychological thriller "THE HAUNTING OF MIA MOSS". As far as band interviews go, LORD RANDALL tells me that he should soon have a chat with Chicago's unsung sludge/doom heroes PALE HORSEMAN. Lots more is in the pipe, so stay tuned!
Ready for your weekly dive into the Torture Chamber? Light your torch and follow me...
I AM "Eternal Steel"
SIGH "Shiki"
SANTA CRUZ "The Return of the Kings"
TRIAL (SWE) "Feed The Fire"
DE PROFUNDIS "The Corruption of Virtue"
PERVERSION "Dies Irae"
TRIUMVIR FOUL "Onslaught To Seraphim"
SKELATOR "Blood Empire" EP
FLESHROT "Unburied Corpse"
BOW DOWN TO YOUR SAVAGE MASTER!
I come to you humanoids battered and bruised this week. I've just had a session in the pleasure dungeon of STACEY SAVAGE, mistress of the metal fiends known as SAVAGE MASTER. And I loved every minute of it! I had a stimulating chat with Stacey about what the band has been up to (it's no good, I'm sure), including their new album "Those Who Hunt At Night" and the cool video that accompanies the title track. Find out more straight from the fanged mouth of the mistress herself right HERE!
HORROR and MAYHEM is coming to the Philm Phreaks section, as we will have a slew of new movie reviews courtesy of DARK STARR. He will be tackling the diabolical drive-in classic "The Brotherhood of Satan", the 80's cult favorite "Massacre at Central High" and the more recent psychological thriller "The Haunting of Mia Moss". Plus maybe more! In addition, I'm doing my own review of "Crypt of the Living Dead" so plenty of celluloid chaos is on the way...
You don't have to wait any longer for the Wormwood Torture Chamber. Stacey Savage is unfortunately not there, but plenty of strange and outre album reviews are!
NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER "The Bones That Came From Pain"
REEKING AURA "Blood and Bonemeal"
OLLI HANNINEN & SAMMI HYNNINEN "Chambers"
EVERMORE "Court of the Tyrant King"
H.E.A.T. "Force Majeure"
MOTHS "Space Force"
EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE WITH ASTRAL MAGIC!
You will need to make sure your space suit has got plenty of oxygen as we head into outer space for an interview with Finnish space rock prodigies ASTRAL MAGIC! DARK STARR was first into the airlock to speak to MIKA LAAKSO, the cosmic genius behind the sounds of ASTRAL MAGIC. Mika is a cheerful space cadet with plenty to say about this incredibly prolific band, who seem to put out an album every other month! What causes such an outburst of creativity? Open your hailing frequency and find out more HERE!
We got an extra sized helping of Torture Chamber reviews this week....some pretty dark material in there...
SPELLBOOK "Deadly Charms"
TOMBS "Ex Oblivion"
ABHOR "Sex Sex Sex"
VRENTH "Succumb To Chaos"
FIRTAN "Marter"
DEAD TIRED "Satan Will Follow You Home"
KILL DIVISION "Peace Through Tyranny"
MY SLEEPING KARMA "Atma"
BLACK RIVER "Generation Axe"
A DOUBLE DOSE OF ANVIL!
This week, you Worm-fiends are gonna get all the ANVIL you can handle and more! First off is my face to face interview with legendary LIPS, leader of the band since its formation in 1978! One thing's for sure, he doesn't hold back on his opinions. Find out what he thinks is wrong with modern heavy metal and also the simple secrets of ANVIL's long-term success. It's a blunt and effective chat which you can read HERE! And if that's not enough, I also review their recent live show in Madison, WI, where they were accompanied by WHITE WIZZARD, MIDNITE HELLION and more. Click HERE to get my take on the tour!
To say things are starting to heat up here at Wormwood HQ would be a gross understatement. Just today, I got a finished interview with one of Japan's most unique and respected metal bands, SIGH! I can confirm that long-time leader MIRAI also had a lot to say. I also grabbed an interview with a very interesting progressive instrumental band GEMATRIA, who create all their music using the ancient Jewish system of numerology also called gematria. One of the coolest chats I've had in a while. And no, that ain't all! Because SAVAGE MASTER is also coming to Wormwood! Look for my talk with the Queen of the Night, STACEY SAVAGE! This is just the tip of the iceberg, because a lot more is on the way!
This week's Torture Chamber hits with a hard and heavy groove that will wreck your neck!
HATRIOT "The Vale of Shadows"
BELPHEGOR "The Devils"
TREYHARSH "Eternal Cycles"
SPIRITUS MORTIS "The Great Seal"
SEEP "Hymns To The Gore"
MORTUUS "Diablerie"
KEYBOARD WIZARD DEREK SHERINIAN DROPS BY...
This time around, DARK STARR has got a brief chat with one of the true maestros of the rock n roll keyboard, MR. DEREK SHERINIAN. Derek's credits could fill a phone book, but he's done work with BILLY IDOL, KISS, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION and of course DREAM THEATER. But his own list of solo records is also sizable and the latest is called "Vortex". Join him to find out more HERE...
Expect more exciting announcements soon from Wormwood HQ. In the meantime, look for an interview with ANVIL as well as a live concert review of them in action next week...
The Torture Chamber this week is not only wild and woolly but extra-sized as well!
SAOR "Origins"
BLACK MAGNET "Body Prophecy"
LUCID GRAVE "Cosmic Mountain"
INHUMAN CONDITION "Fearsick"
STICK MEN "Tentacles"
XENOGLYPH "Spiritfraud"
FEARSORE "Bloedwyrx"
WOLFBRIGADE "Anti-Tank Dogs" EP
SWIM OR DROWN "Torment" EP
HOOVES AND HORNS "I Am The Skel Messiah"
GET READY TO ROT WITH MOLDER!
The stench of putrefaction fills the air at Wormwood Laboratories this week as we welcome Joliet's menacing maniacs MOLDER to the fold. If you like disgusting death metal that has equal parts revulsion and catchiness, then these are your boys. And they don't try to disguise the fact, either, as you will learn when you read my interview with guitarist/vocalist AAREN PANTKE. He tells us about the origins and goals of MOLDER as well as the lowdown on new album "Engrossed With Decay". If you really want to get down with the sickness, forget DISTURBED and hop aboard the MOLDER train instead. Find out more HERE!
Things continue to move along smartly here at Wormwood HQ. I can tell you there will be a new PHILM PHREAKS article looking at the early 70's vampire flick "CRYPT OF THE LIVING DEAD". Keep an eye out for interviews with ANVIL, DEREK SHERINIAN, ASTRAL MAGIC and more as well!
A good selection of bands appear in this week's Torture Chamber, including my pick for album of the year thus far...
SINNER "Brotherhood"
SAVAGE MASTER "Those Who Hunt At Night"
WEREWOLVES "From The Cave To The Grave"
PHARMACIST "Flourishing Extremities On Unspoiled Mental Grounds"
ENCHANTMENT "Cold Soul Embrace"
CELESTIAL WIZARD "Winds of the Cosmos"
WORMWOOD FILES IS BACK! IN SEARCH OF AFRICA'S KILLER CRYPTIDS!
It's been a LOOOONG time since we've posted a new edition of the Wormwood Files here at Wormwood, but the drought is over at last and we dive headlong into the world of the weird and unknown. This time our search takes us to Darkest Africa where we try to find the truth about two of the most vicious unknown creatures around, the NANDI BEAR and the MNGWA! These two bloodthirsty brutes used to be the terror of their respective areas but are little seen now. What exactly is the Nandi Bear...giant hyena, giant baboon, killer aardvark or prehistoric chalicothere? We try to find out. As for the Mngwa, it's a mysterious giant cat that would give even a lion the willies. Read more about these two killer cryptids HERE!
This week's Torture Chamber is not only extra big but features the return of THERON MOORE to WC!
MUNICIPAL WASTE "Electrified Brain"
MANTAR "Pain Is Forever And This Is The End"
BLUT AUS NORD "Disharmonium--Undreamable Abysses"
PROTECTOR "Excessive Outburst of Depravity"
QUARTZ "On The Edge of No Tomorrow"
BALLS GONE WILD "Stay Wild"
MONASTERIUM "Cold Are The Graves"
SPECIES "To Find Deliverance"
RESISTANCE "Skulls of My Enemies"
AN APPOINTMENT WITH PHARMACIST!
Your prescription is now ready so it's time to meet the PHARMACIST! Of course, this time the prescription is for sick yet progressive death metal in the vein of CARCASS, so who better to deliver your medicine than this mysterious European pill pusher? This master of medical grindcore has delivered a masterpiece of an album with "Flourishing Extremities On Unspoiled Mental Grounds" so I felt that I, Dr. Abner Mality, a fellow practitioner of ghoulish high volume arts, was duty-bound to investigate. You can read the results of that investigation HERE...but you better have your sick bag ready!
LOTS of news to report in Wormville! Speaking of sickening bands, I can relate that I also grabbed a chat with Chicago's gory sickos MOLDER. Even better, my mission to speak to the legendary Lips of ANVIL was also a success, so an interview with him is also forthcoming, along with a review of the recent ANVIL show in Madison, WI. That's not all, sports fans! DARK STARR informs me that he's recently talked to keyboard wizard supreme DEREK SHERINIAN, who we haven't talked to in quite some time. Not only that, he also ventured into the Oort Cloud to speak to Finnish space rockers ASTRAL MAGIC! Look for both of those soon. Now there's even more cool stuff on the way that I should be able to spill the beans about soon!
For this week's Torture Chamber, MICHAEL SCHENKER drops by, along with some seriously disturbing bands...
MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP "Universal"
MOLDER "Engrossed In Decay"
HOLOCAUSTO CANIBAL "Cruenza Ferina"
TEUFELSBERG "Ordre Du Diable"
NEGATIVE PLANE "The Pact"
MORBID EVILS "Supernaturals"
TWO HORROR REVIEWS: EDGE OF SANITY & THE RIGHTEOUS
Time once more to delve into the world of freaky film as we offer not one, but two new reviews for our Philm Phreak section. DARK STARR tackles two new Blu-Rays from Arrow Video. One is an unappreciated psycho horror film from 1989 "EDGE OF SANITY" featuring the immortal ANTHONY PERKINS as a killer who combines aspects of Mr. Hyde and Jack The Ripper! Then we look at something more contemporary, with the slow-burning tale of supernatural tension known as "THE RIGHTEOUS". Are these 2 fear flicks worth your hard-earned shekels? Click HERE and HERE and find out for yourself!
Your pal the Good Doctor will soon be reviewing a live show featuring the metal veterans ANVIL, along with a gang of true metal bands including WHITE WIZZARD and MIDNITE HELLION. If I get real lucky, I must just be grabbing a face to face interview with LIPS himself! I'll let you know next week exactly what happened. Plus some more major interview news will be on the horizon!
We squeezed out a few more reviews for this week's Torture Chamber! Peruse and enjoy!
ARTHUR BROWN "Long, Long Road"
GRONIBARD "Regarde Les Hommes Sucer"
PANZERFAUGHT "The Suns of Perdition: Chapter III--The Astral Drain"
BEGRIME EXEMIOUS "Rotting In the Aftermath"
TOXIK "Dis Morta"
ANTIGAMA "Whiteout"
VOIMATON "Profane Vestige"
CRISIS BENOIT "El Culto de la Muerte"
ILLUCIA '"A New Reign"
A BLAST FROM THE PAST WITH APOCALYPSE!
DARK STARR presents some very unusual for you Worm-fiends this time around, as he unearths a forgotten prog rock band from the 70's that is finally releasing their first record after 46 years! The band is APOCALYPSE, hailing from the Chicago suburb of Elmhurst and Starr speaks to one of their guiding lights, guitarist TOM SALVATORI! He unfolds the tale of how this band came up during the same age that produced STYX and KANSAS and had ambitions of joining them. But then real life got in the way and the tapes for the first APOCALYPSE album "The Castle" were stored away and forgotten...until now! It's a great trip back in time that you can join HERE!
Big things are in the works for Wormwood, but until they're in the bag, I can only tease and tantalize about what's coming up. I hope to have a live review with one of the great names of 80's metal and maybe an in person interview to go with it, while OCTOPI MILLS is hoping to speak to a true rock legend who goes back even further in time. Stay tuned and wish us luck, because these would be cool as hell to get!
This week's Torture Chamber brings us visits from KREATOR and JORN along with other intriguing names!
KREATOR "Hatred Uber Alles"
ATARAXY "The Last Mirror"
A CHAT WITH WISCONSIN LEGENDS VIOGRESSION!
One of the mainstays of Wisconsin's always interesting death metal scene has been VIOGRESSION. With a lineage that goes all the way back to 1988, this brutal bunch has recently made a spectacular return after an absence of some years. Their new album "3rd Stage of Decay" is their most ambitious by far and shows some new sides to the band while retaining their trademark aggression. I was fortunate enough to connect with drummer DUANE TIMLIN recently for a chat about the past, present and future of VIOGRESSION. Hop on board and see what it' all about right HERE!
Some big announcements coming soon from the Wormcrew! I can tell you that the first new edition of the Wormwood Files in many years is in the planning stages and will take a look at mysterious killer cryptids of Africa. Also, look for a plethora of new movie reviews from DARK STARR! Should have some interview announcements shortly!
This week's Torture Chamber may just be the heaviest ever!
SEVERE TORTURE "Fisting The Sockets"
ARTIFICIAL BRAIN "Artificial Brain"
NEKKROMANIAC "Plague Eater"
DESECRESY "Unveil In The Abyss"
HUSH "The Pornography of Ruin"
VOLCANDRA "Border World"
ENTER THE TEMPLE OF VOID!
LORD RANDALL ushers us into the solemn world of death/doom stalwarts TEMPLE OF VOID this week! This Michigan band has created an eerie and atmospheric take on crushingly heavy music that is pretty unique and heard nowhere better than their new Relapse album "Summoning The Slayer". He speaks to guitarist ALEX AWN about the alchemy behind the album's creation and the band's steady rise through the ranks to their present position. You can enter this beguiling realm HERE!
We now present the latest Torture Chamber that goes pretty much everywhere and reviews everything!
DARKANE "Inhuman Spirits"
SHED THE SKIN "Thaumogenesis"
COME TO GRIEF "When The World Dies"
HEART ATTACK "Negative Sun"
DAN REED NETWORK "Let's Hear It For The King"
VIOLENTOR "Manifesto di Odio"
SERPENT ASCENDING "Hyperborean Folklore"
FELLOWSHIP "The Saberlight Chronicles"
GOATCHRIST "Odes To the Radiant One"
WE CHECK OUT ADRENALINE WRESTLING!
We head back to the squared circle this week to check out the grunt n' groan antics of a new wrestling promotion, ADRENALINE WRESTLING! This bunch recently debuted in nearby Loves Park with a card that included such well known grapplers as MYRON REED, JAKE CRIST and JDX, as well as home-grown star FEARLESS MUSA! They promised to deliver hard-hitting hybrid wrestling action. Did they? Read HERE to find out! Including plenty of photos. (The pic above is solely the property of Adrenaline Wrestling.)
Pretty soon, Dr. Mality will be meeting up with a pharmaceutical compatriot...the mysterious death metal dispenser known only as PHARMACIST! I grabbed an interview with this enigmatic genius, which you will soon be able to peruse here at WC.
Our Torture Chamber this week includes names both new and well-known...
COSMIC PUTREFACTION "Crepuscular Dirge For the Blessed Ones"
DECAPITATED "Cancer Culture"
ANVIL "Impact Is Imminent"
BESIEGED "Violence Beyond All Reason"
THE AGE OF ORE "Malevolence"
TEMPLE OF VOID "Summoning The Slayer"
FEEL THE HEAT OF IRONFLAME!
Here at Wormwood, our search for the truest of metal is never-ending. Once in a while, we cross paths with warriors bearing the sharpest of steel, such as IRONFLAME! These guys deliver the goods on their latest album, "Where Madness Dwells". One of the chief architects of IRONFLAME and their voice is ANDREW D'CAGNA. I managed to grab a chat with the busy frontman and now present the result to you. He tells us how the new album found its origin in tragedy and also how juggles IRONFLAME with his other bands, NECHOCHWEN, ICARUS WITCH and BRIMSTONE COVEN. He's a very focused and articulate fellow, so climb about HERE!
Our Torture Chamber this time around is an extra-sized portion of underground musical goodness...
GREENBEARD "Variant"
IRONFLAME "Where Madness Dwells"
VETUS SUPULCRUM "A Shroud of Desolation"
HAUNTER "Discarnate Ails"
ASTRAL MAGIC "Lords of Space"
DEFECT DESIGNER "Neanderthal"
MAGNATAR "Crushed"
CARAVELLUS "Inter Mundos"
KRYPTAMOK "Kataklysmi"
A LOOK AT THE PSYCHOTRONIC CAREER OF CAMERON MITCHELL!
We return to the world of cult film this week as I take a look at the career of a true psychotronic legend, CAMERON MITCHELL. The star of well over 200 movies, Mitchell's career ran the gamut from Oscar nominated work to starring in some of the most outrageous films ever made, including the likes of "Nightmare in Wax", "The Toolbox Murders", "Frankenstein Island" and "Supersonic Man". It's a story of perseverance and making the most of whatever life gives you. Prepare to enter the domain of "anything goes" film by joining us HERE!
Lots of news to report this week! LORD RANDALL has gotten an interview with one of the most interesting American metal bands, the atmospheric death/doom masters TEMPLE OF VOID! And I've managed to hook up with Wisconsin's legendary death metal band VIOGRESSION, who have recently returned to action after a prolonged layoff. You can add these to DARK STARR's interview with forgotten Rockford prog band APOCALYPSE and my look at the new ADRENALINE WRESTLING promotion. Lots more coming soon!
And now let's dive into the most recent onslaught of Torture Chamber reviews...
SKULLFIST "Paid In Full"
IRONHAWK "Rituals of the War Path"
SPELLFORGER "Upholders of Evil"
CHOREOMANIC "Choreomanic"
SKULLSHITTER "Goat Claw"
KAMPFAR "Fandens Trall"
DEVIL'S TRAIN "Ashes And Bones"
CAN YOU SURVIVE SADISTIC RITUAL?
Coming straight out of Hot-lanta, GA is SADISTIC RITUAL, a promising new thrash metal unit that is striving to develop an original sound. Their new album "The Enigma, Boundless" is a relentless and challenging work of musical fury. Well, us intrepid humanoids of Wormwood are always on the prowl for acts like this, so Dr. Abner Mality hooked up with drummer JOE SWEAT to get the dope on the psychedelic-influenced band. You can check out the result of this little chat HERE and perhaps you should have some mushrooms handy while perusing it!
In other news, our resident prog wizard DARK STARR will have an intriguing interview coming up with a local Rockford band that is finally releasing their magnum opus after a break of 46 years! They are called APOCALYPSE and you will be hearing from them soon. Also, look for my review of the ADRENALINE WRESTLING card that recently played in Loves Park and featured names like MYRON REED, JAKE CRIST and local boy made good, FEARLESS MUSA! We should have some more news on upcoming features shortly!
Here now is this week's Torture Chamber featuring a pretty diverse selection of bands...
ZERO HOUR "Agenda 21"
SADISTIC RITUAL "The Enigma, Boundless"
FRIENDS OF HELL "Friends of Hell"
SKUMSTRIKE "Deadly Intrusions"
INTOLERANCE "Dark Paths of Humanity"
SAINT VITUS' "BORN TOO LATE" GETS THE WAYBACK TREATMENT!
Time for another deep dive into a seminal album, conducted by none other than THE GREAT SUN JESTER! This time, Jester sets the Wayback Machine to 1986 to examine one of the great doom metal albums, "Born Too Late" by SAINT VITUS. All of the early VITUS albums are indispensable, but this is arguably the album that helped VITUS climb to the top of the heap. It was the first album to feature SCOTT "WINO" WEINRICH of THE OBSESSED on lead vocals and it seemed to delve deeper into realms of real personal pain than prior works. Let THE GREAT SUN JESTER be your guide as we put "Born Too Late" under the microscope HERE.
Wrestling fans, I will soon be covering yet another new federation making its home in the Rockford area, ADRENALINE WRESTLING. They've got a strong lineup including SILAS YOUNG, MYRON REED and Rockford's own FEARLESS MUSA. I'll soon let you know what it's all about!
You know what's next...the one, the only Wormwood Torture Chamber!
MOURNFUL CONGREGATION "The Exuviae of Gods, Part I"
CHARGER "Warhorse"
HELSOTT "Will and The Witch"
MOLTEN CHAINS "Orisons of Vengeance"
NUNSLAUGHTER/BLOOD "Split Mini LP"
NATIONAL NAPALM SYNDICATE "The New Hell"
MISFIRE HITS THE BULLSEYE!
After talking to bands in India and Pakistan, it's kind of cool to find one a lot closer to home. Enter MISFIRE, from the Murder City of Chicago. These three bruisers have come up with a sound that's just as tough as their home town, which you can hear on their debut album "Sympathy For the Ignorant". Despite being a new name, they have deep roots in the metal scene, which I find discover when talking to drummer JAMES NICODEMUS! James' answers are a lot like MISFIRE's own music...basic but hard-hitting. Find out more HERE!
Also coming soon will be an interview with traditional metal sensations IRONFLAME, who just played the Blades of Steel Festival. Also coming up will be a chat with SADISTIC RITUAL, a look at the career of eccentric movie star CAMERON MITCHELL and a report on ADRENALINE WRESTLING, a hot new promotion in our area. Also, THE GREAT SUN JESTER has selected the legendary album "Born Too Late" by SAINT VITUS as the subject of his next Wayback Review. That should be appearing very soon!
It's time for a new overstuffed version of the Wormwood Torture Chamber!
EVERGREY "A Heartless Portrait"
STATIC ABYSS "Labyrinth of Veins"
WATAIN "The Agony and Ecstasy of Watain"
NO/MAS "Consume/Deny/Repent"
VIOGRESSION "3RD Stage of Decay"
UFOMAMMUT "Fenice"
VIANDE "L'abime devore les Ames"
REDSHARK "Digital Race"
APARTHIVA RAKTADHARA "Adyapeeth Maranasamhita"
A CHAT WITH INDIA'S ROCK TIGERS GIRISH & THE CHRONICLES!
Last week we traveled to Pakistan to speak to the ferocious AZAAB, masters of death metal. This time around, we head to next door India in search of their #1 hard rock band, GIRISH & THE CHRONICLES! Take it from the Doctor, if you dig the likes of BADLANDS, SKID ROW, WHITESNAKE and TESLA, you simply have to hear these guys, who are dedicated to all the things that made heavy rock so great. One of their main weapons is amazing singer GIRISH PRADHAN, who has a world class voice and the look of a true rock star. I talk to GIRISH about the history of his band and what it's like to purvey classic American hardrock in India. Grab a hold of the tiger and check out the interview HERE!
Speaking of interviews, we should also have an upcoming chat with the band SADISTIC RITUAL from Atlanta, who have put out a cool new album that is redefining the thrash metal sound. This should be the first of several new features we will be telling you about in upcoming weeks.
The latest Torture Chamber features familiar names like NAZARETH and DESTRUCTION as well as some intriguing new bands...
DESTRUCTION "Diabolical"
MISFIRE "Sympathy For the Ignorant"
NAZARETH "Surviving the Law"
SLEEPLESS "Host Desecration"
FALLS OF RAUROS "Keys To A Vanishing Future"
PAKISTAN'S AZAAB SUMMONS THE CATACLYSM!
Let it never be said that Wormwood doesn't scour the world in search of metal excellence! This time, our travels take us all the way to Islamabad, Pakistan, where we find the war machine known as AZAAB in action. These demons of the desert deliver death metal of the highest caliber on their new album "Summoning the Cataclysm". I thought it would be high time to speak to guitarists SHAHAB KHAN and AFRAZ MAMOON about the metal scene in Pakistan. Their answers surprised me...and might surprise you, too! See what I'm talking about HERE!
We are diligently working on a whole slate of nefarious new material here at Wormwood and should be in a position to tell you more soon! Stay tuned!
This week's Torture Chamber features a dizzying collection of material ranging from utter brutality to greasy rock n roll to progressive mastery!
ENRAGEMENT "Atrocities"
THE HELLACOPTERS "Eyes of Oblivion"
CORPSESSED "Succumb To Rot"
ABBATH "Dread Reaver"
AMBIGRAM "Ambigram"
A CLOSE LOOK AT THE BLADES OF STEEL FESTIVAL!
Well, it took almost 3 years, but the BLADES OF STEEL Metalfest finally hit Milwaukee in April 2022! This was after being postponed no less than 3 times due to the Covid plague. The original lineup changed but the final roster included such venerable names as WHIPLASH, D.R.I., TOXIK, REALM and MORDRED! Along with a heavy duty slate of other heavy acts, both local and national. I was able to make 2 out of the 3 days of the Fest and now I give you humanoids a blow by blow description of those days. Lots of pics included. Get the lowdown on the Fest That Would Not Die right HERE!
We have some fairly controversial opinions to be found in this week's eclectic lineup of the Torture Chamber...
DEATHSPELL OMEGA "The Long Defeat"
MIRROR "The Day Bastard Leaders Die"
FAMYNE "II: The Ground Below"
NECROM "All Paths Are Left Here"
NATHR/ ORDO CULTUM SERPENTIS "Shadows Crawl" Split
ABHORRENT EXPANSE "Gateways To Resplendence"
DEEP IN THE WOODS, WE FIND TROGLODYTE!
Recently I went on a trek through the swampy lowlands of Missouri in search of the dread man-beast MOMO! Well, I didn't find him, but I ran into a whole tribe of shambling monsters collectively known as TROGLODYTE! And I was triple shocked to find out they played death metal. So my trip wasn't a waste after all. I grabbed a chat with the leader of the hominids, who went by the name JEFF SISSON and for a relict survivor of the Ice Age, he sure had a lot to say. We had a fun conversation about not only death metal and the band's history, but also the existence of Bigfoot and his cousins, what the best Bigfoot movies are and Jeff's extensive career in FX and video. You can join this cryptozoological conversation HERE!
Speaking of massive and dangerous things, here's this week's edition of the Torture Chamber!
LORDS OF THE TRIDENT "The Offering"
ANATOMIA/UNDERGANG "Split LP"
BOMBER "Nocturnal Creatures"
FER DE LANCE "The Hyperborean"
VIMUR "Transcendental Violence"
TOKYO BLADE "Fury"
SUPPRESSION "The Sorrow of Soul Through Flesh"
MEIN KOPF IST EIN BRUTALER ORT "Ton Steine Sterben"
VOLCANOVA "Cosmic Bullshit" EP
WE SAY GOODBYE TO THE GREAT SCOTT HALL!
It's unfortunately true that many pro wrestlers die at an unnaturally young age. The latest is SCOTT HALL aka RAZOR RAMON, a man whose fame transcended mere wrestling fandom. THE GREAT SUN JESTER takes a look at the life and career of "The Bad Guy", including his early AWA days, his tag team with CURT HENNIG, his eventual rise as Razor Ramon and his huge success as part of the NWO. Plenty of pics of this charismatic star are included, so set your beady eyes HERE and find out more about a fallen superstar.
You can add an interview with Chicago's rough and ready new metal band MISFIRE to the upcoming slate of interrogations we've got scheduled. That includes Pakistan's AZAAB, India's GIRISH & THE CHRONICLES, and the Bigfoot-crazed TROGLODYTE! Also coming is my live review of the BLADES OF STEEL festival and a look at the psychotronic film career of CAMERON MITCHELL!
And now for the Torture Chamber, which has got some pretty wild and obscure entries this time around!
MORGUE SUPPLIER "Inevitability"
MORS PRINCIPIUM EST "Liberate the Unborn Inhumanity"
YAWN "Materialism"
SACRILEGA "The Arcana Spear"
KALEIDOBOLT "This One Simple Trick"
SATAN RETURNS TO WORMWOOD!
This week, it is indeed an honor to welcome SATAN back to Wormwood Laboratories. Not the singular guy with fangs and horns, but rather the legendary British metal heroes who have been releasing album after album of classic material. The latest is entitled "Earth Infernal" and it looks at the timely topic of global warming. I talk to longtime guitarist RUSS TIPPINS about SATAN's critical interest in this subject, as well as their approach to writing and performing. Russ is a guy with plenty on his mind and you can find out exactly what by reading HERE!
PLENTY of news to report! You all know my interest in cryptids. Well, when I headed into the woods of Missouri in search of Bigfoot recently, I ran into TROGLODYTE instead. This Sasquatch-obsessed death metal band even looks like Bigfoot! I got an interview with Mr. JEFF SISSON, who is also a makeup and FX artist as well as a video director! I can guarantee a very interesting chat with that one! I also can report I grabbed an interview with perhaps the most exciting hard rock and traditional metal band out of India, GIRISH & THE CHRONICLES! I talk to GIRISH himself about the Indian heavy music scene. That's also upcoming at Wormwood, along with my report on the BLADES OF STEEL festival and GREAT SUN JESTER's tribute to the late great SCOTT HALL! Lots more in the mix...I will keep you updated!
It's also high time for an extra sized edition of the Torture Chamber, which I present to you now...
ELIMINATOR "Ancient Light"
SATAN "Earth Infernal"
FM "Thirteen"
NEQUIENT "Darker Than Death or Night"
BASTARD "Rotten Blood"
CULTIC "Of Fire And Sorcery"
SEPULCHRAL "From Beyond the Burial Mound"
ARMORY "Mercurion"
SICKBAY "Brutal Existence" EP
JESUS WEPT "Psychedelic Degeneracy" EP
EXPLORE THE LEGACY OF ST. LOUIS WRESTLING!
When you mention sports and the city of St. Louis, chances are most people will think of the Cardinals, the Rams and the Blues. But here at Wormwood, our thoughts turn first to the Gateway City's long time legacy of great pro wrestling. For years, the St. Louis TV show "Wrestling At The Chase" featured the best matches from superstars like HARLEY RACE, BRUISER BRODY, PAT O'CONNOR, RIC FLAIR & DICK THE BRUISER! That legacy lives on in the modern day promotion SOUTHERN ILLINOIS CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING. This week, I take a look at the history of St. Louis Wrestling and the current success of S.I.C.W. Lace up your boots and check it out HERE!
Later this week, I will be heading up to Milwaukee, WI to check out the metal fest that wouldn't die, BLADES OF STEEL! Due to Covid, this fest has been postponed 3 times, but will finally be going down. Names like WHIPLASH, D.R.I., REALM and NUNSLAUGHTER are just some of the names that will be there. Expect a write up with plenty of photos down the pike! And you can also expect GREAT SUN JESTER to do a tribute to the late great SCOTT HALL shortly. Should have some news on more upcoming articles before too long...
This week's Torture Chamber features more hammers than Home Depot!
HAMMERFALL "Hammer of Dawn"
DEATHHAMMER "Electric Warfare"
IZTHMI "Leaving This World, Leaving It All Behind"
SANHEDRIN "Lights On"
FATHER BEFOULED "Crowned In Veneficum"
ABSYMAL DAWN "Nightmare Frontier" EP
A RESTLESS SPIRIT INVADES WORMWOOD!
LORD RANDALL does the honors this time around and heads to the Big Apple to interrogate moody doomsters RESTLESS SPIRIT, who have materialized in the mortal plane with a strong new album called "Blood of the Old Gods". He speaks to "Father Damn" himself, PAUL HAYDEN, about all manner of subjects including, if you can believe it, IMMANUEL KANT! Yes, they also talk about the process of writing and recording the album and some of Paul's own struggles over the years. Grab your Ouija board and read further HERE!
The Good Doctor can tell you that he ventured all the way to PAKISTAN to interview rising death metallers AZAAB! This is one of the farthest flung chats we've ever done, so keep an eye out for that, coming soon. THE GREAT SUN JESTER has informed me that his next Wayback review will be for SAINT VITUS' seminal "Born Too Late" album. Not only that, but he's planning on a tribute to the late, great "Bad Guy", SCOTT HALL! So things are starting to percolate around here...
Our Torture Chamber this time around features the latest from CROWBAR, BLOOD INCANTATION and more!
CROWBAR "Zero And Below"
BUNUEL "Killers Like Us"
DESERTED FEAR "Doomsday"
BLOOD INCANTATION "Timewave Zero"
TROGLODYTE "The Hierarchical Ecological Succession..."
ULTRA SILVAM "The Sanctity of Death"
WHAT'S SHAKIN' AT WORMWOOD!
A rather light week here at Wormwood Laboratories. Even hardcore deviants like us have to take a breather now and then. But fear not, we have a full slate of Torture Chamber reviews for you below.
Also some news to report! LORD RANDALL tells me me that he's gotten an interview with Noo Yawk doom troop RESTLESS SPIRIT! If you're not familiar with these guys now, you soon will be! Also, SATAN is on his way back to Wormwood. Or rather, the great English metal institution SATAN, who have just released a blistering new album called "Earth Infernal". I speak to longtime guitarist RUSS TIPPINS! Some other interviews are in the planning stages...more coming soon. Also, for all you fans of grunt n' groan, I'm working on a new wrestling article that looks at SOUTHERN ILLINOIS CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING and the great legacy of pro wrestling in St. Louis. So all that and more is coming at Wormwood.
And now, here's the Torture Chamber stuff I promised you earlier...
EIGHT BELLS "Legacy of Ruin"
SAXON "Carpe Diem"
ORDER OF NOSFERAT "Nachtmusick"
CHTHONIC CULT "Become Seekers of Death"
LOST TRIBES OF THE MOON "Chapter II: Tales of Strife, Destiny & Despair"
MAENTRA "Kundalini Rising"
APES "Lullabies for Eternal Sleep"
VOIDCEREMONY "At The Periphery of Human Realms"
POWER GAME "Slaying Gods"
RABID DOGS "Black Cowslip"
IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE?
Rarely has Wormwood interviewed anybody as intense as RIZ STORY, the guiding force for the hard to define rock band ANYONE. DARK STARR managed to speak to Mr. Story and the result is sometimes hard to read. As someone deeply interested in the health of oceans and the environment, he pulls no punches with a very dire assessment of the current situation. He's also very blunt talking about the pitfalls of the music business and his own negative experiences with it. The interview is as gripping as the man's music itself and you can dive into it right HERE!
DEEP PURPLE, IMMOLATION and a killer band from India are all residents of this week's Torture Chamber!
BURNING THE OPPRESSOR "Damnation"
UNLEASHED "No Sign of Life"
DEEP PURPLE "Turning To Crime"
IMMOLATION "Acts of God"
OUT OF THIS WORLD "Out of This World"
GIRISH & THE CHRONICLES "Hail To The Heroes"
DIVE INTO THE WILD WORLD OF HEAVY META!
We don't shy away from the odd and uncommercial here at Wormwood...in fact, we embrace it...but there's no doubt that Massachusetts band HEAVY META is one of the most unorthodox we've ever encountered. On latest album "Mana Regmata", they dive into a relentless world of heavy, funky, jazzy and mathematically improbable musical alchemy. Naturally, Dr. Mality had to find out more. The result is a fun and informative chat with bass wizard KISHOR HAULENBEEK, who guides through the mutant corridors of HEAVY META's brand of insanity. You'd best put on your gas mask , grab your sledgehammer and freefall into the interview HERE!
And that's not all! It's time once again to venture into JESTER'S WAYBACK REVIEWS, as the loquacious GREAT SUN JESTER takes a detailed look at another classic album of yore. This time, he examines CIRITH UNGOL's masterpiece of sword and sorcery metal, "Frost And Fire". Find out more HERE!
The fun doesn't stop there because we've got an extra big blast of Torture Chamber reviews, including the latest SCORPIONS, the aforementioned "Mana Regmata" by HEAVY META and the new MIDNIGHT, along with other sundry delights...
SCORPIONS "Rock Believer"
HEAVY META "Mana Regmata"
EMBRYONIC AUTOPSY "Prophecies of the Conjoined"
NOCTURNAL GRAVES "An Outlaw's Stand"
MIDNIGHT "Let There Be Witchery"
MESSA "Close"
PESTILENGTH "Basom Gryphos"
DANCE WITH THE DEAD "Driven to Madness"
CATACOMB "Back To Unknown Kadath"
GET THE LOWDOWN ON THE DECIBEL TOUR!
It ain't often when a brain-smashing extreme metal show of top notch caliber plays within a decent radius of Wormwood Laboratories but that's just what happened when the DECIBEL TOUR pulled into the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, IL. And on Valentine's Day, no less. Instead of kisses and candy, we got a worm-eaten slab of OBITUARY, with a sizable helping of MUNICIPAL WASTE on the side and tasty appetizers like GATECREEPER, ENFORCED and SPIRIT WORLD. How exactly did this St. Valentine's Day Massacre go down? Find out HERE! With tons of pics as well!
Some unusual entries in the Torture Chamber this time around, including a robot metal band, the return of VIO-LENCE and some way out space rock...
WOLFTOOTH "Blood And Iron"
ELECTROMANCY "Technopagan"
VIO-LENCE "Let The World Burn"
3rd EAR EXPERIENCE "Danny Fraenkel's 3rd Ear Experience"
FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY "Oh, What The Future Holds"
WORMWOOD CHATS WITH TONY MARTIN!
This week, it's a real privilege for us to sit down with one of the great voices in heavy metal, Mr. TONY MARTIN. Best known for his lengthy stint with BLACK SABBATH, Tony actually has hundreds of musical credits to his career and has just released a tremendous new solo album, "Thorns". Our boy COLONEL ANGUS was lucky enough to pick Tony's brains, finding out how his approach to singing has changed dramatically over the years, the unique way that he handled writing the new album and a look back at his prior work. You can find the results of the chat HERE!
For the first time in a while, we've got an expanded edition of the Wormwood Torture Chamber...
DARK MEDITATION "Polluted Temples"
HELLFROST AND FIRE "Frost, Fire and Hell"
DESOLATE SHRINE "Fires of the Dying World"
CAESTUS "The Undoer's Key"
ASHES OF ARES "Emperors and Fools"
THEANDRIC "Flight From The Tombs"
NULLIFICATION "Kingdoms To Hovel"
KROLOK "Funeral Winds And Crimson Sky"
KARMANJAKA "Gates of Muspel"
IT'S TIME FOR THE BEST OF 2021 LISTS!
Yes, humanoids, it's that time once again! The annual ritual known as the Wormwood Writers' Best of 2021 lists. We've been doing this for a long time and it's one of the most anticipated, if not THE most anticipated, articles of the year. You get a glimpse into the tortured brains of each of the Wormcrew. And what a varied collection of picks it is! As a teaser, here's the #1 choices of each writer...
GREAT SUN JESTER APOSTLE OF SOLITUDE "Until the Darkness Goes"
DARK STARR GRETA VAN FLEET "The Battle At Garden's Gate"
DR. ABNER MALITY 1914 "Where Fear and Weapons Meet"
THRASH-HEAD MORDKAUL "Dress Code: Blood"
COLONEL ANGUS EVERGREY "Escape of the Phoenix"
THERON MOORE HELLOWEEN "Helloween"
LORD RANDALL WOMBBATH "Agma"
THOR WEREWOLVES "What A Time To Be Alive"
OCTOPI MILLS RUNDGARD "Stronghold of Majestic Ruins"
Want to find out what the other picks are? Click HERE and find out!
And no, we didn't neglect our usual Torture Chamber reviews. Here they are
ERIC WAGNER "In The Lonely Light of Mourning"
RUNNING WILD "Blood On Blood"
OLD SPIRIT "Old Spirit"
DEATHCULT "Of Soil Unearthed"
BELLING THE TIGER "Lost"
INERTH "Void"
WORMWOOD OPENS UP THE GRAVE NEXT DOOR!
This week, the esteemed LORD RANDALL ventures to Western Michigan to dig up dirt on GRAVE NEXT DOOR! This fast-rising doom metal band is not just raising the dead, but also a lot of eyebrows with their grim and gritty take on slow motion mayhem. Randall speaks to the entire band about the uniqueness of the environment they grew up in, what it's like to have brothers in a band and the lyrical inspiration for their sometimes disturbing songs. There's a cool vibe to this chat with the entire band which you can sample HERE!
More news to report. Last week we revealed that a new interview with former BLACK SABBATH vocalist TONY MARTIN is on the way. Now we can confirm that the one and only DARK STARR have had a conversation with RIZ STORY from the hard to pin down rock project ANYONE. Having read this one, I can confirm this will be one of the most provocative talks we've ever posted at Wormwood. I should have some more new on future articles soon!
Time for the most recent Torture Chamber reviews!
KROSIS "E.V.I.L."
DRUID LORD "Relics of the Dead"
MYSTIC CIRCLE "Mystic Circle"
MALIGNANT ALTAR "Realms of Exquisite Morbidity"
CRYSTAL BALL "Crysteria"
VERIKALPA "Tunturihauta"
TAKE A BLOODY BITE OUT OF VHS!
Keep a cross and plenty of garlic near this week as Wormwood dives into the gory world of VHS! This band of Canadian metal freaks are obsessed with horror and on their new album "I Heard They Suck...Blood", they enter the twilight world of the vampire! The album looks at vampire films ranging from the classical to the contemporary and delivers VHS' patented brand of punk-infused death metal at the same time. Of course, the gang here at WC love monsters and metal, so it was a perfect time to talk to MIKE HOCHINS of the band and get their take on the world of bloodsucking ghouls! Get ready to face the living dead HERE!
LOTS of news to cover this week! I am super happy to report that COLONEL ANGUS has secured an interview with none other than former BLACK SABBATH vocalist and one of the outstanding voices in metal, Mr. TONY MARTIN! I can guarantee this will be a great look inside the mind of TONY, who just released an outstanding new album, "Thorns"! Also, all the lists are in, so look soon for Wormwood's infamous Best of...lists, where each of our demented crew list their favorite albums of 2021!
Speaking of the Wormcrew, I want to take some time to shed light on a project from our very own THERON MOORE. Theron's the busiest of all of us and in addition to all his other writings, he's just released a new book called "The Roswellnomicon", subtitled "The Strange Untold Oral History of Roswell, New Mexico and Surrounding Areas". It's an odd work where the lines between fact, fiction and legend about Roswell are blurred, if not completely obliterated. You can check the book out HERE and support one of Wormwood's own!
This week's edition of the Torture Chamber has a ton of range across the rock n roll spectrum!
CYNIC "Ascension Codes"
POWER PALADIN "With the Magic of Windfyre Steel"
FIELDS OF MILDEW "The Complete Woes"
CADAVERIC FUMES "Echoing Chambers of Soul"
REDSTACKS "Revival of the Fittest"
CIVEROUS "Decrepit Flesh Relic"
BUY A TICKET TO THE THEATRE OF BLOOD!
Critics! Who can stand the opinionated egomaniacs? Not me...and I'm one of them! The 1973 cult horror "Theatre of Blood" took revenge against critics to gory new heights as the one and only VINCENT PRICE portrayed a maddened Shakespearean actor who gets even with his tormentors in the most gruesome ways possible. Over the years, this deliciously absurd film has acquired quite a reputation, so it's time for Wormwood to give it the Philm Phreaks treatment. You can read about the killer crusade of EDWARD LIONHEART right HERE!
Coming soon to Wormwood will be my chat with the avant-garde and over the top new band HEAVY META, a group that throws everything...including the proverbial kitchen sink...into their unique band of metal insanity! Plus, look for some new live concert reviews coming soon! Hope to make some more announcements in the weeks ahead!
TONY MARTIN and ARCHSPIRE are just a couple of the visitors to this week's edition of the Torture Chamber!
TONY MARTIN "Thorns"
MAULE "Maule"
ARCHSPIRE "Bleed the Future"
DIABLERY "Candles"
DEPLETED URANIUM "Origins"
SOLAR CROSS "Echoes of the Eternal Word"
WORMWOOD DISCOVERS THE WORLD OF ETERNITY'S END!
This week Wormwood charts a course to a land where robots and wizards collide...the universe of Germany's power metal maniacs ETERNITY'S END! This is one of the bands leading the charge to a more gutsy and technically savvy brand of power metal. And who better to head up that crusade than shredding guitar maestro CHRISTIAN MUENZNER, who also plies his trade in tech-death titans OBSCURA. Christian has a very outspoken and well defined vision of the power metal genre and he articulates it in the interview which you can find HERE!
As far as future content goes, many plans are being laid! LORD RANDALL plans an interview with stoner/doom neophytes GRAVE NEXT DOOR and we should have another one of JESTER's Wayback Reviews shortly. Working on some really cool interviews and we will also have the traditional Best of 2021 lists from all the writers soon!
Something you can always count on are the Wormwood Torture Chamber reviews. Here's this week's batch...
PHRENELITH "Chimaera"
BASTARDUR "Satan's Loss of Son"
SCREAM 3 DAYS "Rhesus Negative"
OFERMOD "Mysterium Iniquitatis"
CONFUSION MASTER "Haunted"
ABSCESSION "Rot of Ages"
THE FIRST EDITION OF "JESTER'S WAYBACK REVIEWS" LOOKS AT MOTORHEAD'S "BOMBER"
Wormwood is proud to present the first in a regular series that takes a close and critical look at important albums of the past. Your host is THE GREAT SUN JESTER and the column is JESTER'S WAYBACK REVIEWS. For the all-important debut edition, he's picked MOTORHEAD'S "Bomber" to go under the microscope. This was the band's third album and the follow-up to the defining "Overkill" effort. Jester looks at it track by track and also looks at a live show from 1979, when the band were at their rawest. Dip into a piece of rock n roll history HERE!
Of course, we still have our regular Torture Chamber reviews for you Worm-heads! And it's heavier than ever!
ETERNAL EVIL "The Warrior's Awakening Brings the Unholy Slaughter"
HYPOCRISY "Worship"
LOCK UP "The Dregs of Hades"
VHS "I Heard They Suck...Blood"
U.D.O. "Game Over"
OSSUAIRE "Triumvirat"
SAY HELLO TO DAMAGE INC. WRESTLING!
It's time to head back to the world of the squared circle and this time, we don't have very far to go. DAMAGE INC. WRESTLING is a brand new professional wrestling promotion that's based in Dr. Mality's hometown of Rockford, IL. So you can imagine I was all over this like ugly on ape. The promotion features a combination of established talent like RHYNO, COWBOY JAMES STORM and MASADA with Midwest area veterans like ERIC PRIEST and SCOTT SPADE. We've got a blow by blow look at the Dec. 11th show held at the Teamsters Hall in south Rockford and also an interview with promoter STEVE EISMAN. You can check it all out HERE but watch out for flying chairs!!!
We're starting 2022 with an extra sized dose of the Torture Chamber...here she is!
MONOLORD "Your Time To Shine"
ETERNITY'S END "Embers of War"
GODLESS "States of Chaos"
RHINE "Auslander"
DOS COBROS "Misadventures in Dystopia"
HUSQWARNAH "Front Towards Enemy"
MYSTRAS "Empires Vanquished and Dismantled"
DISASTER "Secrets of the Past"
KILLRAZER "The Burial Begins"
WORMWOOD ENDS 2021 WITH NEW TORTURE CHAMBER REVIEWS!
We've reached the end of a year of momentous change here at Wormwood. A year that saw us get a whole new look and a new commitment to outrage the masses with more underground content. This final week, we're relaxing a bit before hitting the ground hard in 2022. You'll see the latest edition of the celebrated Torture Chamber below. As for future plans, I just nabbed an interview with death metal horror freaks VHS, who will be sharing their love of lurid vampire flicks with us soon. That's in addition to the already completed ETERNITY'S END interview and my close look at new pro wrestling promotion DAMAGE INC. WRESTLING based in Rockford, IL. I also want a strong return for our Wormwood Files section, which has been empty for too long!
Enough of this gay banter! Now onto the Torture Chamber!
HITTEN "Triumph and Tragedy"
ROKKR "Rokkr"
NEGURA BUNGET "Zau"
GOAT TORMENT "Forked Tongues"
HAWKWIND "Somnia"
DEATH SS "Ten"
WORMWOOD RIDES INTO AN UNTAMED LAND!
Well, pardnuhs, are ya ready to hit the trail into the wide open spaces of the West? That's what Doc Mality does this week, stopping in Ohio on the way to Tombstone to talk with PATRICK KERN from the one of a kind musical project known as UNTAMED LAND. Imagine if the soundtrack of a spaghetti Western was merged with an attack of raw, epic black metal. That describes some of what UNTAMED LAND is about, but not all! Mr. Kern has a very strong vision of what he wants to accomplish with this band and he articulates it quite eloquently in our little chat, which you can sample right HERE!
Although Halloween is my preferred holiday by far, I still have a soft spot for Christmas and I wish all you Worm-maniacs out there a happy holiday season! One hopefully clear of murder and mayhem...
And here's the gift that keeps on giving...the infamous Wormwood Torture Chamber!
GAAHL'S WYRD "The Humming Mountain"
FORTRESS "Don't Spare The Wicked"
GREEN DESERT WATER "Black Harvest"
INFRARED "From The Black Swamp"
MOL "Diorama"
HYPERDONTIA "Hideous Entity"
INTO THE TRENCHES WITH 1914!
World War I was supposed to be the War to End All Wars, but it ended up being the gateway to a new age of technologically advanced warfare. Here to tell us all about it are Ukraine's metal soldiers, 1914! This is a band totally devoted to telling the stories of World War I from all sides and every possible angle. Their new album "Where Fear and Weapons Meet" is not only a classic of extreme metal mastery, but a deep look at the madness of the war. I met up with Oberleutnant DITMAR KUMARBERG to learn more about the band approaches telling the story of WWI in a metal context. It's a fascinating chat that you can sample HERE!
If you can make it out of the trenches, sample this extra large helping of Torture Chamber reviews, featuring the most eclectic lineup ever!
EXODUS "Persona Non Grata"
GENOCIDE PACT "Genocide Pact"
ENUFF Z'NUFF "Enuff Z'nuff's Hardrock Nite"
LAJA AIJALA & ALBERT WITCHFINDER "Centuries of Youth"
WORM "Foreverglade"
CHROME "Scaropy"
ALTARETH "Blood"
DUNGEON STEEL "Bloodlust"
CHARNEL ALTAR "Abatement of the Sun"
BOW DOWN BEFORE BLOOD RED THRONE!
Few death metal bands have had the longevity and impact of Norway's BLOOD RED THRONE. That's why it's an honor for us at Wormwood to interview the venerable band. I recently hooked up with guitarist DANIEL OLAISEN, the one man who's been with BRT since the very beginning and got his thoughts on the current death metal scene as well as the brand new album "Imperial Congregation" which is the band's first for mega-label Nuclear Blast. Daniel has a straightforward, no BS way of getting to the point which you can sample right HERE!
Lots of news to report! Look for a new kind of album review courtesy of THE GREAT SUN JESTER, who will do an in-depth dissection of a classic album in a new section called JESTER'S WAYBACK REVIEWS. I'm told the first choice will be none other than MOTORHEAD's "Bomber"! Coming soon to Wormwood! Also coming soon will be an interview with wunderkind guitarist CHRISTIAN MUENZNER in connection with his power metal band ETERNITY'S END! I'm also going to be examining the classic Vincent Price horror "Theater of Blood". Upcoming interviews include 1914 and UNTAMED LAND! To say nothing of the legendary Wormwood "Best of 2021" lists...
And now for the moment you've been waiting for...the latest Torture Chamber reviews...
WOMBBATH "Agma"
1914 "Where Fear and Weapons Meet"
VICTORY "Gods of Tomorrow"
SNARE OF SIXES "MoonBladder"
WHEN THE DEADBOLT BREAKS "As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy"
OUTRE TOMBE "Abysse Mortifere"
CONCERT REVIEWS ARE BACK, WITH EXHUMED!
One of the biggest Wormwood casualties during the Curse of Covid has been our Concert Review section, which has lain fallow for more than two years as the world has shut down. No more! The drought has been lifted, as Good Doctor Mality recently paid a house call to the Crucible Club in Madison, Wisconsin to see a brutal lineup of death and thrash metal bands hit the stage. Headliners were the notorious gore-mongers EXHUMED, with a back up of great up and comers including CREEPING DEATH, BEWITCHER and ENFORCED! A mayhemic time was had by all and you can get all the gory details right HERE!
Our old buddy SOLOMON G has returned to the Wormwood fold! He does a review of doom-meisters KHEMMIS in the latest edition of the Torture Chamber!
KHEMMIS "Deceiver"
AUTOKRATOR "Persecution"
OBSCURA "A Valediction"
TOWER "Shock to the System"
RUNDGARD "Stronghold of Majestic Ruins"
CENTENARY "Death: The Final Frontier"
A CHAT WITH GUITAR WHIZ CLARK COLBORN!
This week, Wormwood reconnects with an unsung hero of the guitar world, Mr. CLARK COLBORN! Clark got his start with Rockford hard rockers CHEATER back in the 70's and from there has grown to be a wildly creative solo artist helping to push electric guitar music to its limit. This time around, DARK STARR hooks up with Clark and discusses the multiple trials and tribulations he endured putting together his latest album "Obscurotica". He's got tons to say on a variety of subjects, including favorite gear, his songwriting process and life in general. You can dive in HERE and find out more about this versatile virtuoso.
We've got a supersized edition of the Torture Chamber for you this time, with a super eclectic selection of reviews to experience...
ALCATRAZZ "V"
BLOOD RED THRONE "Imperial Congregation"
PARADOX "Heresy II: End of A Legend"
MORTAL VISION "Mind Manipulation"
UNTAMED LAND "Like Creatures Seeking Their Own Forms"
BLOOD SPORT "Hot Blood and Cold Steel"
GALAXY "On the Shores of Life"
CREATURE "Eloge de l'Ombre"
DUCKWALK CHUCK "Fired Up"
HIT THE HAIRY HIGHWAY WITH "WEREWOLVES ON WHEELS"!
There's a full moon in the sky as we cruise the highway tonight, Worm-fiends! And coming straight at us is a whole gang of "WEREWOLVES ON WHEELS"!
Time to head into the world of weird film again as I take a close look at 1971's oddball biker monster movie "Werewolves on Wheels". What happens when a club called the Devil's Advocates run afoul of Satan himself? If you don't know, you're gonna find out! This is a surreal grindhouse epic that has grown in reputation...both good and bad...over the decades and we put it under the microscope right HERE!
Some news to report! I kept in the West to do an interview with PATRICK KERN of the atmospheric black metal band UNTAMED LAND, who combine the mayhem of black metal with the cinematic sounds of the American West! A very unique approach to the music! Also, my hometown has a new pro wrestling promotion called Damage Inc. I plan to cover their next card, talk to promoter STEVE EISMAN and maybe even grab a chat with one of the star grapplers. More to follow!
And now, of course, we enter the darkened confines of the Wormwood Torture Chamber...
CONTRITION "Broken Mortal Coil"
KK'S PRIEST "Sermons of the Sinner"
ATRAE BILIS "Apexapien"
IRON LIZARDS "Hungry for Action"
INFIRMUM "Walls of Sorrow"
PESTILENTIAL SHADOWS "Revenant"
WE BID FAREWELL TO ERIC WAGNER...
It's a sad fact that even icons must pass from this world eventually. But if we are here to remember them, that eases the passing. This week, THE GREAT SUN JESTER pays tribute to a fallen musical hero, ERIC WAGNER. If you know anything about doom metal, stoner rock or just plain emotional rock music, you know that name. And that distinctive wailing voice from the legendary TROUBLE as well as other projects like THE SKULL and BLACKFINGER. That voice has passed from our world now, but the Jester remembers it in a heartfelt tribute that you can read HERE...
Not only do we have a bigger than usual Torture Chamber this week, but IRON MAIDEN pops in for a visit...
IRON MAIDEN "Senjutsu"
MANIMAL "Armageddon"
MASSACRE "Resurgence"
TRAPPIST/CONNOISSEUR "Cross Faded" Split
WOODEN THRONE "Under the Moon, They Wander..."
PAYDRETZ "Chroniques de l'Insurrection"
HELGRIND "Insurrection"
EMPLOYED TO SERVE "Conquering"
ANOMALY DETECTED AT WORMWOOD!
Last time around, we ventured into the deep space of the future to confer with ZETAR. This week, we remain in the void to speak to another great sci-fi influenced death metal band, ANOMALY. Well, in this case, the void is actually Milwaukee, Wisconsin. THERON MOORE does the honors and chats with NEIL TIDQUIST about the band's journey through many styles of metal until arriving at the cosmic mayhem of their new album, "Planet Storm". You can intercept ANOMALY at this location!
Hey, humanoids! The ROCK RIVER TIMES recently spoke with Dr. Mality about the early days of Wormwood and the recent refurbishment of the WC website! It's a very in-depth interview which you can check out at the following address: https://issuu.com/rockrivertimes7/docs/rrt10202021_combined/6
Got some interesting inmates at the Torture Chamber this week, as well as some unfiltered opinions...
AEON "God Ends Here"
MINISTRY "Moral Hygiene"
APOSTLE OF SOLITUDE "Until the Darkness Goes"
CRIMINAL "Sacrificio"
PSYCHO "Vulture Church"
MYSTERIZER "The Holy Wars: 1095"
BEWARE THE LIGHTS OF ZETAR!
This time around, Dr. Mality travels further than he ever has before in search of an interview...into the far depths of interstellar space where dwells the astro-acoustic phenomena known as ZETAR! No, your eyes don't deceive you...this is a band that gets its name from a classic "Star Trek" episode, "The Lights of Zetar"! These cosmic death metal marauders are 100% inspired by Star Trek as far as lyrics go, which makes them a perfect target for an interview. I speak to band mastermind R.G. about his love of both Star Trek and death metal as well as the new ZETAR album "Devouring Darkness". Prepare to go where no Worm-fiend has gone before HERE!
Some news to report! THE GREAT SUN JESTER has completed a very personal project, a tribute to the recently deceased ERIC WAGNER, lead singer of TROUBLE, THE SKULL & BLACKFINGER and a seminal figure in the world of doom metal and stoner rock. I also dived into the trenches for an interview with unique Ukrainian band 1914, who are devoted to writing about the horrific conflict known as World War 1. Plus, we have talks with CLARK COLBORN, ANOMALY, & BLOOD RED THRONE coming up, as well as my Philm Phreaks article on "Werewolves On Wheels"!
If you want an extra-sized dose of The Torture Chamber, you got it! Right here...
GREEN LUNG "Black Harvest"
ZETAR "Devouring Darkness"
WITNESSES "The Collapse"
MONUMENT OF MISANTHROPY "Unterweger"
THE MIGHTY ONE "The Torch of Rock N' Roll"
OUR PLACE OF WORSHIP IS SILENCE "Disavowed and Left Hopeless"
ALTARS OF THE MOON "Brahmastra"
HATEMONGER "The Vile Maxim"
PHANTOM FIRE "Bust of Beelzebub"
WORMWOOD GETS A DOSE OF SKEPTICISM!
The redoubtable OCTOPI MILLS took a trip to the dark and somber forests of Finland to meet with one of that country's most revered exports, the funeral doom metal pioneers SKEPTICISM! More specifically, he spoke with keyboardist EERO POYRY about the band's meticulous method of putting an album together, including their latest gloomy epic "Companion". He also asks about the influence of their home country on their music and also the influence of the supernatural. This band has been around for almost 30 years and helped create a unique style of music, so join Eero and Octopi HERE for their discussion.
And as always, we have an assortment of metal reviews for your kind attention in the esteemed Torture Chamber...
HATE "Rugia"
PRAY U PREY "The Omega Kill"
ANOMALY "Planet Storm"
TENTATION "Les Berceaux Des Dieux"
GUS G. "Quantum Leap"
NECRONAUTICAL "Slain In The Spirit"
MAKE CONTACT WITH WITHERING SOUL!
Chicago can always be counted on to produce quality metal bands and here Wormwood introduces you to another one: WITHERING SOUL! These dudes have been plying their brand of melodic death/black metal for quite some time now, but they have reached their apex with newest offering "Last Contact". Well, I made "first contact" with guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist/founder CHRISTOPHER to get the back story on the band and their new album. He mentioned up and coming new bands to keep an eye on, how the band has evolved over the years and the meaning underlying "Last Contact". You can sample the rest of the tantalizing chat HERE!
Some news to report! I've secured an interview with long-running Norwegian death masters BLOOD RED THRONE, who have just made their debut on the mighty Nuclear Blast label! This is the second time we've spoken to them, but it's been over 10 years since our last chat. Also, DARK STARR has grabbed our second interview with guitar wizard CLARK COLBORN, whose roots go back a long way in our local Rockford area. Clark always has a lot to say, so this one will be pretty cool
We've got a massive oversize edition of the Torture Chamber to torment you with this time around...
THYRFING "Vanagandr"
WITHERING SOUL "Last Contact"
BRAINSTORM "Wall of Skulls"
SCEPTOR "Rise To the Light"
CYRAX "Experiences"
OSSUARY "Addicted to Human Flesh"
MORBID MESSIAH "Disgorged In the Coffin"
SIDEREAN "Lost on Void's Horizon"
SUN OF THE SUNS "TIIT"
WE BLOW UP WORMWOOD WITH AEW DYNAMITE!
Well, sports fans, it's been many a year since we've had a major pro wrestling article at Wormwood, but the drought is over! Maybe it lasted so long because there wasn't that much to talk about. But that has changed with the arrival of ALL ELITE WRESTLING. This new major promotion has taken the grunt n' groan world by storm with a combination of classic veterans, young phenoms and a more violent and athletic brand of competition. Recently I got to see first hand just what they were about when they visited suburban Chicago to tape their national televised program AEW DYNAMITE. It was a major production with names like C.M. PUNK, STING, KENNY OMEGA and CHRISTIAN CAGE on the card. I give a blow by blow description of the show HERE...lace up your boots and get your ass in the ring!
You will find some fairly spicy opinions in this week's Torture Chamber lineup. Read on and find out more...
RIVERS OF NIHIL "The Work"
CARCASS "Torn Arteries"
BLACK MASS "Feast At The Forbidden Tree"
BIZARRE "Invocation Codex"
WORMWITCH "Wolf Hex"
MOON ORACLE "Muse of the Nightside"
GO SLOW WITH THE SLOMATICS!
The enchanting Emerald Isle of Ireland is known for its love of music. But not particularly for a lot of brain-crushing psychedelic doom metal. Enter THE SLOMATICS! This trio is devoted all things low, slow and grooving. The esteemed LORD RANDALL recently hopped a rainbow to Ireland and spoke to SLOMATICS main man DAVID MAJURY. This gentleman had a lot to say about his love of sci fi author PHILIP K. DICK, his love of the immersive total album experience in an age of 5 second digital attention spans and the slow but welcome return of live music festivals. Sample more of his wisdom at THIS LINK...
This week we've got an extra big Torture Chamber session for you, if you can take it...
MADROST "Charring the Rotting Earth"
TOXIC RUIN "Nightmare Eclipse"
KRYPTOS "Force of Danger"
THE SLOW DEATH "Siege"
LOW FLYING HAWKS "Fuyu"
HELLCRASH "Krvcifix Invertor"
LOWER 13 "Embrace The Unknown"
SCARECROW (FI) "Splatterpunk"
VESSEL "Behind the Walls" EP
WITHERED GET LOST AT WORMWOOD...
This week, I take a trip to the outskirts of Atlanta,, Georgia to meet up with one of the most distinctive voices in American extreme metal...WITHERED. I had the pleasure of speaking to guiding light MIKE THOMPSON years ago, which you can find in the Archives, but a lot of water has gone under the bridge since then. The band's latest album "Verloren" (German for "lost") is perhaps their darkest yet most introspective effort yet. Mr. Thompson is a very eloquent speaker for his band and the interview is well worth your time. Sample it HERE...
Some upcoming items...THERON MOORE has secured a chat with Milwaukee sci-fi death metal band ANOMALY, which would make a great companion to my forthcoming talk with the similarly cosmic ZETAR! THE GREAT SUN JESTER tells me he is working on a tribute to the late great lead singer of TROUBLE, ERIC WAGNER, who sadly passed earlier in the year. My live report on a TV taping of the super-hot AEW Dynamite is just about done...this will be our first wrestling-themed article in quite a while. More is in the works...news as things become more certain.
We've got some pretty dark visitors to the Wormwood Torture Chamber this week...
HOUR OF 13 "Black Magick Rites"
GNOSIS "Omens From The Dead Realm"
CROWNE "Kings In the North"
NUNSLAUGHTER "Red Is The Color of Ripping Death"
PORTRAIT "At One With None"
REBEL PRIEST "Lost In Tokyo" EP
GRAVEYARD SHIFTERS "Head Turns First, Eyes Follow" EP
HUMAN...OR HUMANOID? FIND OUT WITH WORMWOOD...
This week, Wormwood journeys to a post-atomic dystopia to examine one of the strangest movies ever made...1962's "Creation of the Humanoids"! This odd low budget film takes place after a devastating atomic war when mankind is on the verge of extinction. Despite that, he's created a race of humanoid robots to perform labor for him. The question is, are the robots really serving mankind...or are they out to replace it? It's the first Philm Phreaks article for the new age of Wormwood...check it out HERE!
The devious brain of Dr. Mality is already looking ahead to the next freaky film article here...I can tell you that this time we're hitting the dusty highways of the desert Southwest in search of "WEREWOLVES ON WHEELS"...
This week's Torture Chamber brings us classic rock, a father-son German metal team up and one of the best thrash records in many years...
DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG "Arising"
ENFORCED "Kill Grid"
VENEFIXION "A Sigh From Below"
MORDRED "The Dark Parade"
CACTUS "Tightrope"
FELL HARVEST "Pale Light In A Dying World"
PREPARE TO ENTER A TOXIC RUIN!
Sheboygan, Wisconsin! The home of freshwater surfing and bratwurst. And now also the home of TOXIC RUIN! This energetic young thrash/death metal band calls the city on the lake home and they've just unleashed their second album, "Nightmare Eclipse". With the right blend of ferocity and technicality, this sucker shows they are worthy to join the next level of underground metal supremacy. A fitting time for us to hook up with drummer DAVE MILLER, who gives us an enthusiastic run-down of all things TOXIC-related. Put your hazmat suit on and read more HERE...
Lots of cool things swirling around at the updated Wormwood Chronicles. Look out for a chat with long running Atlanta sludge metallers WITHERED coming up very soon. Other bands soon to appear here are Chicago's black/death warriors WITHERING SOUL, Irish doom merchants SLOMATICS and Star Trek obsessed death metallers ZETAR! We also have a look at the cult sci fi classic "Creation of the Humanoids" and for the first time in a long time, we're getting a new wrestling article in "Over the Top Rope", dealing with my recent trip to a taping of AEW Dynamite in Chicago. As always, lots of other stuff in the works...
And no, we haven't forgotten about this week's Torture Chamber...here we go!
SPACE CHASER "Give Us Life"
WITHERED "Verloren"
HINSIDES "Under Betlehems Brinnande Stjarna"
DEE SNIDER "Leave A Scar"
AZIOLA CRY "The Ironic Divide"
ASHEN "Godless Oath"
THE NEW AGE OF WORMWOOD STARTS WITH NUNSLAUGHTER!
We kick off the new version of Wormwood with a blast of unholy hellfire straight out of Cleveland! The nefarious NUNSLAUGHTER pays us a visit...more specifically, I chat to DON OF THE DEAD! Don fills me in on this diabolical institution and the transition they had to make after the tragic passing of long time drummer JIM SADIST! They also have a new album out "Red Is the Color of Ripping Death" which they can give us the lowdown on! Throw your cross away and join us for the chat HERE!
Coming up soon will be my talk with Wisconsin's rising thrash stars TOXIC RUIN and also an in-depth look at the cult science fiction film "Creation of the Humanoids"! Lots more is coming soon so stay tuned. You can click on the Archive link above to access over 20 years of Wormwood craziness!
And yes, the ever-lovin' TORTURE CHAMBER is also back, with a massive dump of metallic goodness for you to peruse...
DARKTHRONE "Eternal Hails"
TOMBSTONER "Victims of Vile Torture"
CRYPTA "Echoes of the Soul"
HEAVY WATER "Red Brick City"
MONSTER MAGNET "A Better Dystopia"
THY CATAFALQUE "Vadak"
DOMINATION CAMPAIGN "Onward to Glory"
CLARK COLBORN "Obscurotica"
SKEPTICISM "Companion"
WELCOME TO WORMWOOD CHRONICLES 2.0!
Greetings, humanoids, and welcome back to Wormwood Laboratories! As you can see, we've been busy while you've gone! Many nights of torturous toil have gone into the rebirth of this website, which has endured for 20+ years of extremity and escapades! If this is the first time you've laid eyes on the Weird World of Wormwood, welcome! We are a website that specializes in underground music (mostly but not always of the metal variety), cult film, paranormal weirdness and the occasional dip into pro wrestling, conventions and off the wall opinion. It's gnarly, it's rough around the edges, but hell, somebody must like it or it wouldn't have lasted 21 years!
You can find the 5000 plus album reviews, 600 plus interviews, tons of film articles, concert reviews and delvings into the paranormal at the WORMWOOD ARCHIVE LINK, where our past is immortalized for all time! But after so long in our old format, it's a breath of freshly rotten air to have this new, streamlined look. We plan on filling this new site with all sorts of cool stuff, including interviews with NUNSLAUGHTER, WITHERED, etc., etc. as well as tons of album reviews in our notorious Torture Chamber. At the top right you will see links for the Interview and Torture Chamber sections, while the "More" heading will reveal other departments! We plan on wasting no time filling up all of these sections.
Keep an eye here every week, as we will keep you up to date on the latest depravity! STAY SICK, WORM-FIENDS!