WORMROT - Hiss
Pictured: Hiss album artwork by Jon Chan.
Written by: Tom Wilson @thetomwilsonexperiment - Sense Music Media | Thursday 7th July 2022
Singapore Grinders Choose Violence
Facing a similar dilemma that befell FEAR FACTORY last year, Singapore grindcore trio WORMROT have had their vocalist Arif announce his departure from the band before their new album could be released. This retroactively makes Hiss a eulogy for his years in the band. But does it do him, and them, justice?
Hiss opens with the tranquil sound of flowing water, mirroring the album artwork of a mysterious woman emerging onto the shoreline, and the accompanying concept music video that blends different songs from this release into a short film – in a similar vein to SLAYER’s The Repentless Killogy. The serenity is short-lived, and we soon explode into a masterclass of modern grindcore. Made entirely with drums, vocals and guitar – no bass required – the breadth of sound on display here is remarkable. It’s not what you have at your disposal – it’s how you use it. Broken Maze sees vocalist Arif shifting from guttural roars to his best Burton C. Bell baritone, stretching deep, gloomy vocals over shimmering guitar and clattering drums. First single Behind Closed Doors has been described by guitarist Rasyid as “our fight song,” and WORMROT distil everything that makes them great into a blistering minute-and-a-half. When Talking Fails, It’s Time for Violence brings out the gang vocals to get fists in the air, and Your Dystopian Hell lives up to its name. Like an ambush predator, WORMROT lure you in with a deceptively simplistic pop-punk guitar, before smacking you across the back of the head and sending you down the drain into a whirlpool of gurgling low vocals and clattering snare. The chaos slows to a crawl, and squelching interference starts to buzz through the mix, as if a cord has been pulled loose in the studio.
The shortest track on the album, Unrecognizable has a bit of an ironic title, because this twelve-second eruption of gurgling lows, shrieking highs and clattering drums is instantly recognisable as classic WORMROT. Hatred Transcending showcases drummer Vijesh’s insane speed and mastery of his craft, as a rock beat erupts into a blistering extended blast. Arif’s gutturals segue into a black metal snarl, before disappearing into a maelstrom of feedback. Pale Moonlight opens with a militaristic slow beat before bringing in exotic percussion as Arif screams desperately into the void. Voiceless Choir sees Arif whispering over galloping drums, before kicking off some gang vocals perfect for a circle pit. Things take a sharp left turn with Grieve, introducing disconcerting violin shrieks and warbles like something out of John Zorn’s PAINKILLER project (courtesy of 18-year-old violinist Myra Choo). The weirdness continues on All Will Wither, as a lethargic drumbeat thuds underneath a rasping diatribe of tortured whispering. Five of the tracks on Hiss are under a minute long – short, sharp and violent, like being taken by a hungry crocodile you weren’t expecting to see at the water’s edge. Finale Glass Shards, on the other hand, stretches things out for over four minutes of shimmering blasts, Rasyid’s genre-defying guitarwork, and a soaring violin, and after a deafening crescendo, we return to the quiet, gurgling water from which Hiss emerged.
If this is indeed Arif’s last hurrah with WORMROT, he can walk away with his head held high, because his performance here represents grind vocals being taken to their most torturous extreme (he actually injured his vocal chords while making this). Whoever picks up the mic for WORMROT next, I hope they can do this release justice, because Hiss is incredible.
8/10
Hiss is out July 8th on Earache. Pre-order here.
Pictured: WORMROT
Photo by: Ryan C