Carnosus “Wormtales”
Wormtales will be released October 18th independently
Melodic death thrashers Carnosus, formed in 2011, create and execute a brutal and heavy hybrid of both thrash and death metal since the band’s formation. Making their debut at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown with 2020’s Dogma of The Deceased, the album would put the band on many death metal fan’s radar upon release. Three years later, the band would emerge from the lockdown and deliver their crushing second album Visions of Infinihility that continued the sonic onslaught the band was bringing on their debut. Now, with the band’s upcoming third album Wormtales, pitched as the band’s darkest and heaviest record, does it live up to the expectations the fans want?
Album opener “Birthless” opens with eerie, dark ambience with cavernous reverb. Rickard Persson & Marcus Jokela Nyström’s guitars come chugging into the arena. Drummer Jacob Hedner’s double bass and tom strikes have so much punch behind them with each strike. As bassist Marcus Strindlund’s bass rings in, as its interspersed with the war-like drumming. Jonatan Karasiak’s vocal screams kick the song off as melodic lead guitar enters the fold. The brutality is on full display during the verses. Guitars rising and descending, soaked in melody and reverbed harmonies. Karasiak’s vocals remind me of Frank Mullen from Suffocation in his deep gutturals. A soaring guitar solo leads into the halfway mark as the song slows down to a bombastic and slow dirge. I also love Karasiak’s rolling of his R’s with his gutturals. Guitars are technical in play style, all while Hedner’s double bass punches through loud and clear. Karasiak’s screams near the end instantly has a more phlegmy, Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder sound to his voice as the song closes.
“Within Throat, Within Heart” opens with guttural and phlegmy screams, while Hedner blasts away behind him. A more up-tempo track in nature compared to the opener. Really showing the thrash influence. I love the fretboard walking of the guitar playing on the song, especially intertwined with chugging and classic Swedish death metal aesthetics. An awesome guitar solo at the halfway mark, with underlying double bass and blasts. It really hits hard on that section, before the guitars head into a dueling harmony chugfest. Vocals have a melodic death metal/black metal fusion before the song closes out on a clean guitar passage. with distorted leads closing the piece out.
“Neglectikon” has a groovy, old school death metal vibe to it with the guitar and drum combo. With an ongoing bass groove by Strindlund, the bass almost creates a counter-melody before we hit a chuggy breakdown at the quarter mark. Hedner’s drumming is top-notch on the track, especially with little flurries of double bass and blasts. Guitars truly lead the brutality in chugs and speed up/slow down pacing. Becoming almost manic and technical death metal in the playing at some points, while also giving off cave-man like slam riffs at some sections. Another great guitar part at the three quarters mark, with the accent of harmonies mixed in, really adds that nice touch to the heaviness and complexity.
“Yearnings of A Rotten Spine” has gritty, grimey guitars opening with punk-esque drumming. True melodic death metal sound in it’s purest form. From the vocals, guitars and production mix, it definitely has the peak of 2000’s melodic death metal sound and aesthetic to it. With the changeup at the quarter mark of the short, almost hardcore breakdown, into blasts and chugging into screams. Karasiak is all over the place in his vocals. Manic and chaotic screams, to guttural depths and R-rolling phlegmy shrieks. This is my favorite track off of the album.
Chugging guitars and aggressive drums opens “Worm Charmer”. Strindlund’s gurgling bass rings loud underneath the chugs of Persson & Nyström. More slower in its pacing compared to the album so far, I do like the slower tempo. Mixing it up so it isn’t the same song for thirty-plus minutes. It also sounds more technical in the playing of the drums and guitar. With an even nice bass solo by Strindlund at the halfway mark, segueing into sweeping and harmonious guitars. A diverse track that shows the band’s brutal nature, even with their foot not fully on the gas and taking the aura of the song into a slower direction.
“Harbringer of Woundism” opens with an old-school death metal riff that sounds straight out of the Florida death metal scene of the 90’s. Drums are pummeling and relentless on the song. Packing so much punch in the mix and front-and-center at some points. Very straightforward death metal song. Not as technical and slow as the previous song, but not as high-octane as the opening tracks. It does have a melodic doom switch-up after the halfway mark. With an eerie, reverb-led spacious guitar piece before turning back to the main motif and aggression.
“Paradoxical Impulse” has Hedner fly over his kit with every strike in the opening moments. Karasiak’s deep, guttural growl opens with such a low-range, it is almost animalistic. As he shifts ranges throughout the track, as guitarists continue the chugging, almost groove, countering the speedy playing of Hedner throughout the song. The pig squeal, into the guitar lead and blasts, just hits out of nowhere and really showcases the impressive guitar playing in the band.
Heavy reverbed drums kick off “Wound of Wisdom”. High-energy, pedal to the metal right off the bat. Definitely leaning into thrash metal in the guitar playing, as it heads into the verses section. Vocals are again all over the place in the speed up and aggression in certain moments. Flying by with gritty and gravely delivery, harmonized by deep guttural growls underneath. Drums truly are all over the place in the complexity and playing, with unique playing variations intertwined with the straightforward double bass and blasts. Persson & Nyström are just riff machines on the album. Combining dynamic chugging sections, into beautiful and creative solos to counter the darkness of the band’s music. All while Strindlund gets a little bass lead near the end of the song.
Evil and ominous growls open “Cosmoclaustrum”. with chugging guitars and commanding drums starting the brutality off with a punch to the throat. Karasiak is delivering his lowest vocals in his performance. Almost slam death metal in nature, with the simplicity of the riff and bounce of the drums. With a dark, somewhat harmonious chorus section vocally. Adding another great guitar solo after that section, into blasting drums from Hedner. I also love the fake-out near the three quarters mark, before the riff and drums just deliver that breakdown-esque punishing-like ability as the song slows down to close it out.
The album closer, “Solace in Soil”, opens with trippy, atmospheric reverbed and echoed guitars. Creating a haunting soundscape as Karasiak delivers a guttural, throat singing style vocal delivery. The ringing distortion comes in, adding more heft and darker undertones to the already dreary opening. Full double bass and epic drums kick the song off full tilt. Very progressive death metal in the pacing and song structure. Really building the song up with waves of tension and anticipation. A dynamic, proggy, and mid-tempo song that pushes the experimentation with vocals and guitars as the album comes to a close.
Overall, Carnosus delivered a brutal and heavy record. It was hard to top their second album, Visions of Infinihility, which was how I had heard and got into the band. Wormtales does deliver a sonic punch to the gut in complexity and heaviness. I do think the band going darker and slower in some parts helped, treading into the melo-death/doom combination, which I liked when they did that. Although, I think I wanted more of it. Yes, I did like the thrashy/melodic death metal elements that the band does well. But that foray into that uncharted waters does add some depth and unique instrumentation. It would have made the album more darker, more ominous and evil, and add more weight and heft to the lyrics and vocals. Overall, it is still a great record and will scratch that itch if you want a more thrash-heavy influence in your melodic death metal.
SCORE: 4 / 5
You can pre-order the album on the band’s Bandcamp . You can also pre-save the album on the band’s Spotify page as well.
