''Dirge'' is the second studio album by Singaporean

grindcore Grindcore is an extreme fusion genre of heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, extreme metal, and industrial. G ...

band

Wormrot Wormrot is a Singaporean grindcore band that formed in 2007, immediately after the founding members had completed their mandatory two years of national service. The band have released four studio albums to date, as well as a number of EPs and sp ...

. It was released on 3 May 2011 by

Earache Records Earache Records is a British independent record label, music publisher and management company founded by Digby Pearson in 1985, based in Nottingham, England, with offices in London and New York. The label helped to pioneer extreme metal by rel ...

. The digital version of the album was released for free download in prior due to an online leak.

Musical style

Compared to the band's previous album ''Abuse'', ''Dirge'' is said to feature less of a

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...

influence in favor of a punk rock- and crust-indebted sound while still staying firm in their metallic roots. According to

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, the album features 25 songs, "every one a relentless assault of grinding guitar (doubled in the studio to give extra heft), anarchic yet complex drumming, and hoarse, agitated vocals." The shortest track on the record, "You Suffer But Why Is It My Problem", pays tribute to

Napalm Death Napalm Death are an English grindcore band formed in 1981 in Meriden, West Midlands. None of the band's original members has been in the group since 1986. But since ''Utopia Banished'' (1992), the lineup of bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch ...

. The track "Deceased Occupation" is driven by a sludgy riff reminiscent of

Eyehategod Eyehategod (also abbreviated and referred to as EHG) is an American sludge metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana who formed in 1988. They have become one of the better known bands to emerge from the NOLA metal scene. Their core lineup has re ...

, while the track "Principle of Puppet Warfare" was described as "a pure punk rock slam-fuel." In an interview with ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'', guitarist Rasyid stated:

Critical reception

''Dirge'' received generally positive reviews from critics.

critic Phil Freeman wrote that "even as Wormrot's songs blur into a single massive assault, they have a punk rock catchiness that some of the more metallic grindcore acts don't share," concluding: "It's possible to have a favorite Wormrot song, something that can't be said about the legions of lesser grindcore bands out there." ''

Revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...

''s Chris Krovatin stated: "Vocalist Arif and drummer-singer Fit utilize a twin

growl Growling is a low, guttural vocalization produced by predatory animals; producing ''growls''. Growling or growl may also refer to: Sounds * Death growl, the dominant singing style in death metal music * Stomach growl, or borborygmus, noise prod ...

/ shriek attack that maintains a sense of violent panic, but it’s guitarist Rasyid’s toxic riffs and overdriven leads that give Wormrot their impressively dark atmosphere, a nihilistic malaise that hangs somewhere south of

Pig Destroyer Pig Destroyer is an American grindcore band formed in 1997 in Alexandria, Virginia. The band was formed by vocalist J.R. Hayes, guitarist Scott Hull, and drummer John Evans. Throughout the band's earlier history, they were a three-piece group u ...

and north of Exhumed." Krovatin also further wrote: "The album is not a crossover darling—the band does little to evolve its sound, and if you don’t particularly like grindcore, you’ll hate this—but within their grimy musical crawlspace, these guys are kicking ass." Greg Pratt of ''

'' commented: "It's a sound they nail to perfection on this excellent album, which has as its only downfall the monotony that, if history has taught us anything, we know that all classic grind carries with it."

Track listing

All songs written by Wormrot. ;Limited edition LP bonus tracks

Personnel

Album credits as adapted from Allmusic: ;Wormrot * Arif — vocals, inlay artwork * Rasyid — guitars * Fitri — drums ;Other personnel * Ah Boy — engineering, recording, production, mastering * Andrei Bouzikov — artwork * Summer Lacy — layout

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2011 albums Wormrot albums Earache Records albums Albums free for download by copyright owner