Worm Ouroboros – What Graceless Dawn (2016)

Arriving from this Bay Area trio, today we have Worm Ouroboros and their third full-length release “What Graceless Dawn”. Continuing where “Come the Thaw” left off, this release sees the band crafting hauntingly beautiful tunes that are filled with atmospheric and instrumental brilliance. Clocking at over 60 minutes of music, the listener is in for a very unique aural journey through the band’s unique world.

Opening with the mellow “Day”, we have a very ethereal buildup developed by a very slow tempo and the enchanting vocals of both Lorraine Rath and Jessica Way. The opener perfectly bleeds into the martial first few minutes “Broken Movements”. Once the song slowly progresses, the solemn combination of heartfelt guitar riffs and minimalist bass guitar notes start to get more intense as the song reaches its climax.

As the listener finds himself in a state of trance by the third song, the band unleashes the very dramatic “Suffering Tree”, our favorite song in this release. This very crafty song manages to deliver a lethal combination of some heavy riffs and a playful bass guitar line. Nor for the impatient, the build-up on “Ribbon of Shadow” is expertly crafted and showcases Aesop Dekker’s mastery behind the kit.

For the more vocal oriented, the Dark Ambient-ness of “(Was it) The Cruelest Thing” sends chills down our spine, similar to what old Amber Asylum tracks used to achieve. The album closes with the dreamy “Night”, and it is quite hard to suddenly have to come back from this aural high. As a whole, “What Graceless Dawn” is an excellent release that rewards patient listeners. The band excels at creating lush atmospheres that are truly haunting and unique, making them quite an aural experience both in album and live, so be sure to get your copy and check them out live.

Label: Profound Lore Records

Release: December 2nd, 2016

Genre: Atmospheric/Dark Ambient/ Doom Metal

Country: USA