Saturday, June 25, 2016

LP Review: King of Worms by Never Before




A lot is going to be made about this bands origins, and it’s a fair point to focus on, because there aren’t a lot, or indeed any, stoner metal bands hailing from Beijing, China. But that is not enough alone to make us want to tell you about Never Before, we’re talking about this band because, my word, King of Worms is one kick ass record!

Despite being Chinese, the band don’t sing in their native tongue, instead using English to appeal to a wider audience, and as soon as the music rains down upon you during opener ‘Born To Lose’, location and origin mean nothing, and the power of the riff takes over. The opening track is one of the more doom-esque tracks on King of Worms, with hints of classic rock/thrash poking their heads out at every opportunity. It’s a nine-minute track showcasing all of the band’s talents. The band begin to have some fun with second track ‘Killer or Survivor’ as the groovy stoner metal elements kick into full swing. This is a band who like to have fun while rocking with their balls out! ‘Drink, Fuck, Puke’ is one of our particular favourites here, using elements of the power of old school punk before the heavy swathes of grooving stoner riffs kick in, creating a glorious few minutes of head-thrashing.

As the record develops, the riffs get rawer and louder: ‘Wild Dog’ sounds like it was recorded inside the exhaust of a Harley going 100 through the desert plains, ‘Cold Blood Mike’ is an earthquake of stoner metal riffs to delight everyone reading this blog! ’10,000 Years of Sleep’ may as well be a tribute to said band (Sleep that is) with its heavy drawn out riffs creating a glorious cacophony, while the full-on metal assault of ‘Fall’ quickly awakens the senses once more.

From start to finish, King of Worms is an enthralling listen. There are elements of doom, stoner, metal, punk, all played with incredible energy and skill, with riffs to make your face melt and savagely band the remains to a pulp! China has over 1.3 billion people living there, and these five guys are standing on top of the stoner metal food chain! Let’s see what else you guys have got!

“DRINK, FUCK, PUKE!!”

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please share your comments...