As French metal continues to prove itself a hot bed for adventurous new bands and voraciously tempting sounds, quintet Worselder add their stock to the brew with new album Paradigms Lost. A web of flavours and styles fused into ear pleasing, imagination catching encounters, the ten track release is a quick and easy to devour proposition revelling in additional time offered to blossom into something even more impressive.
Hailing from the foothills of the Pyrénées mountains, Worselder emerged in 2008. Quickly they tempted local and in turn national attention with a sound drawing on each individual member’s influences and experiences in previous outfits alongside nineties inspired thrash and power metal; an instantly rich mix only blossoming in depth and adventure across the years and releases. Debut album Where we come from was released in 2010 to strong responses though it was the MMXIV EP four years later which especially sparked critical acclaim and led to the band sharing stages with the likes of Firewind, Dagoba, Black Bomb A, and Huntress among many. Recorded across 2016 with Elise Aranguren and mixed and mastered by Bruno Varea (Dagoba, Satyricon, Lenny Kravitz), Paradigms Lost sees the Worselder sound and invention at a new level of maturity and imagination. It is a release which as suggested makes a potent impact straight away but shows greater strength upon subsequent listens as its layers and less open complexities are increasingly revealed.
Infighting gets things going, the opener luring ears with a brooding bassline before rapacious riffs and bone rattling rhythms courted by toxic grooves erupt. Equally rapacious vocals from Guillaume Granier and the band soon join the surge before things settle down a touch with the vocalist quickly showing his potent range and dexterity. There is a whiff of industrial metal to the track initially, Society 1 coming to mind as the track jabs with spiky discontent, but soon its melodic and grooved instincts are entangling and stretching its thrash fuelled charge.
It is a great start hinting at the wealth of flavours ready to embrace ears across Paradigms Lost and its next up title track. From the crackle of fire and portentous rhythms within a similar atmosphere, the song strides forth with melodic vocals and harmonies lying keenly on more rapacious and aggressive sounds. The guitars of Yoric Oliveras and Jérémie Delattre cast another instinctive incitement, a mix of predacious trespass and sonic imagination to be hooked on whilst the scything beats of drummer Michel Marcq rousingly pierce the heavy prowl of Yannick Fernandez’s bass. The track’s twists and turns are as fluid as the array of sounds woven together within the excellent proposal but carry an unpredictability which has the imagination firmly enthralled within the first listen.
The instinctive rock ‘n’ roll prowess of next up Seeds of Rebellion has ears won just as quickly; the similarly striking and irresistible song proceeding to instil that core with anthemic dexterity and spicy grooves. All is delivered with lust but control amidst expectations spoiling imagination loaded with a bold unpredictability before Idols unveils its classic/heavy metal attributes within an aggressively tenacious air. Though the track does not quite ignite personal tastes as forcibly as its formidable predecessors, it only grows and pleases more and more with every listen.
Through the melodically calmer waters of The Sickening and the old school spiced Severed, the album has total attention. The first is a tantalising mix of warm melodic temptation and more bullish volatility as vocal and lyrical insight explores ears and thoughts. At times sultry and exotic, in other moments a more rapacious challenge, the track captivates from start to finish, giving neck muscles and hips a workout with its emerging thrash inspired grooving. Its successor similarly casts a net of ear entwining grooves this time fuelled and coloured by that power/classic metal essence with Granier’s croons and roars on melodic fire.
My Consuming Grief has a darker edge and deceitful volatility to its heart; a shadowy emotive power skirting and courting the drama and adventure of the melodic power metal seeded exploits. It too has ears and imagination swiftly gripped before Home of the Grave dances on the senses with its opening melodic flirtation. It is a glorious enticement only increasing its invitation as darker heavier hues from guitar and rhythms join in. Managing to become more primal and charming with each passing minute, the track provides another addictive highlight to the release.
Worselder toy with the imagination through The Haven next, a song exploring dark hues more akin to the likes of Dommin and Rise To Remain though its instinctive classic metal attributes shape the excellent encounter before the album closes with the shadow clouded, atmospherically apocalyptic Land of Plenty. In its imposing darkness there is hope and elegant melodies bring that light as the song rises from its solemn beginnings to challenge and inflame the senses. More of a slow burner than other tracks within Paradigms Lost, it almost festers in ears and imagination as it makes a potent impact and striking moment to eagerly point out.
Inspirations to the band apparently include the likes of Coroner, Testament, and Pantera; a trio which across the whole of an album but especially in the final song alone you can appreciate in a release which simply draws attention back time and time again as we can attest to. Paradigms Lost has all the qualities and impressiveness to push Worselder into global attention, now it is up to the world to embrace them.
Paradigms Lost is available now through Sliptrick Records on Amazon and other stores.
http://www.worselder.com/ https://www.facebook.com/worselder/ http://worselder.bandcamp.com/
Pete RingMaster 20/06/2017
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
Straight away Another path swarms ears with ravenous riffs and imposing beats to instantly destabilise the senses. It is a hellacious yet controlled start which offers a carnivorous bestial bassline and sound to drool over which continues even as intensity and energy is kicked up a gear or two soon after. This marks the entrance of the raw throated vocals which in turn sparks a further thrash infused onslaught, but one which dips in and out of melodically honed lapses in ferocity. They are mere breaths in the again best described as swarm of riffs and rhythms, the guitars additionally creating an alluring web of sonic persuasion across it all.
ferocity which floods the senses with thrash bred hostility and blackened predation. The vocals bring a potent and varied causticity to the adventure too, the twin vocal assault as distinct as they are united in their abrasing narrative. The track continues to flare up with unpredictable twists and inventive colour though its core drive remains in control until it makes way for the following Black Wings. The track continues the immense start with its own enthralling offering, riffs and rhythms again consuming ears in a fierce mesh of intent and enterprise. Hooks and melodies again stir up the imagination within the turbulence of the song, essences of progressive and technical metal as impacting as the antagonistic passion of the track. There is an undefined spark missing to the track to leave it paler against its predecessor, something which in many ways applies to the EP, but it still ignites a keener appetite and impressed reaction for its fiery proposition.
muscular persuasion with Deadset. Its initial coaxing is a menacing almost predatory incitement but it is not long before strong vocal harmonies and melodic entwining wraps engagingly around the ears. That heavier threat is never far from the surface though; expelling bursts of cantankerous grooves and rhythmic antagonism throughout, stalking and gnawing the senses alternatively with the melody rich embrace of the track. It is a striking encounter soon exceeded by the riveting Torn Down, grooves and rhythms again bordering on carnivorous but the perfect complement to the expressive vocals and sonic endeavour which soaks the imagination as rewardingly as the melodic flames. There is a Stone Sour essence to the track in many ways though the song ventures in areas which could be compared to others like Three Days Grace and Tool as well as later Mudvayne too, yet the result is definitely particular to The Milton Incident.
essences of sound ripe for use in their invention. The title track ravages the ear first, its intense riffs a heavy suasion on the ear backed up by the immediately impressive and continuing to thrill drum attack of Icard. Finding its muscular stride with a more thrash laden intent to its combativeness, the song barracks the senses with a tight acidic groove, throaty bass menace, and that already thoroughly compelling rhythm attack of the drums. Vocally Geyer grazes the ear with a strong and expressive delivery, one which reveals its ability to shift tact and attack as the album progresses along its sinewy course.
