Wyrms - Sarkhral Lumænor – La Lueur Contre les Fléaux

Angry Metal Guy 50

True story: I love worms. They’re my favorite parasite. By a long way. Much of my week is dedicated to treating worm infections in kids and lemme tell ya: that makes me endlessly happy. From stretchy tapeworms to giant flatworms; from tiny peri-anal pinworms to scary brain worms—I am here for all of that. So I felt an immediate connection to Wyrms when I saw their album in the promo bin, despite being unfamiliar with their oeuvre. Worms—like witches, goats, wolves, and ravens—also occupy a special spot on the metal landscape. Perhaps it’s the philosophical notion that regardless of our wealth, status and pride, one day we will all reside with them. Or maybe it’s just that they’re slimy and gross. Regardless, they’ve been embraced by these French black metallers, who have been around for a while without achieving noteworthy success. Now they’re back with their 4th album, Sarkhral Lumænor – La Lueur Contre les Fléaux. Is this an infestation you should take note of and treat?

Let’s get one thing straight with these guys: avant-garde, avant-schmard. Unlike many French compatriots, wacky innovation is not the name of the game here. Wyrms stick rigidly to the melodic template which has been honed to a fine sheen since Dissection and Sacramentum first did their thing. Sarkhral Lumænor is about as modern as a jousting contest, and as subtle and flexible as chain-mail armor. We have the eerie synths, the familiar tremolos, the furious blastbeats, the rasping growls. We also have very competent black metal played by a very competent band. But there’s a lot of competent black metal being played competently out there and, unfortunately, Sarkhral Lumænor isn’t quite able to stand out from the crowd.

The major problem with Sarkhral Lumænor is that it all feels somewhat weightless. Yes, there are clattering riffs, and furious drums, and it’s all fun to listen to… but little of it truly sticks. This is primarily due to a lack of distinct personality. Everything here has been done before, and Wyrms are simply honing an established formula. Doing it effectively and entertainingly, but honing, not innovating. The sheen is ultimately so smooth that the band’s fingerprints have been lost. Which is to say, I could not tell you what makes Wyrms different from their counterparts. This lack of identity bleeds, sadly, into the album. This is evident from the very first minute when yet another somewhat cheesy synthesizer sets the mood of “La messe de l’épée.” It doesn’t take long for the melody to explode into action: confident riffs, seamless shifts into thrash, and very little downtime, make for a fun track. But I’m not sure you’ll be humming it while you make dinner tonight.

The lack of memorability is compounded by the sound being somewhat thin. It’s not clear whether this is the mix, which relegates the riffs to a distant second behind the vocals, or the production, which is shiny and smooth, foregoing the grit music like this needs, but the songs needed weight to make them more memorable. The lack of any bass whatsoever doesn’t help either. This is a pity because with a bit more heft, songs like “L’envoyé des flammes” could have been real bangers. As it is, they are simply enjoyable, albeit fleetingly.

This review reads much more harshly than the album is to listen to. The truth is, this is an entertaining and very competent smattering of black metal songs. But if you read this here blog regularly, you’ll know that we review solid black metal many times per week. The stuff that makes you part with your inflation-diminished cash has to bring something new or different to the table, and this is where Wyrms fall short. There just isn’t enough to separate them from a bazillion other talented bands. As worms go, Sarkhral Lumænor is more straightforward soil roundworm than exotic fish tapeworm. What it’s not, sadly, is a collection of righteous earworms (ba dum tiss)…



Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Purity Through Fire
Website: facebook.com/wyrmsblackmetal
Releases Worldwide: September 15th, 2022

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