Ghostlands – Wounds From a Bleeding Earth may only be the debut album from folk/black’n’rollers Wormwood but it’s an absolutely stunning piece that sounds so established and coherent that you’d be forgiven for thinking this is a release from a band that’s been around for years!
Wormwood isn’t the first band to blend black and folk together, and they certainly won’t be the last, but they do it uniquely and to a very high standard. The harshness and bleakness of the more black metal elements to Wormwood’s sound combines well with the more folky melodic moments, creating a varied and more engaging listen, and the progression from one song to the next is great – whilst the album features twelve very distinct tracks, there’s a very natural flow to the music and each song moves to the next almost seamlessly.
There’s plenty of tremendous inclusions to contend with on Ghostlands – Wounds From a Bleeding Earth, but perhaps one of the strongest tracks is seventh song Tidh ok Ödhe, which is a fast-paced track with some seriously catchy vocals (that chorus will surely be rattling round your head for days!) and featuring some ace string lines to boot, this is a song that will remain with you for all the right reasons.
Wormwood have absolutely nailed it with Ghostlands – Wounds From a Bleeding Earth and one thing is for sure – this up-and-coming band is definitely going places if their debut is anything to go by, so make sure you keep an eye on them!
10/10
