Death metal supergroups have had more hits than misses in this decade so far. Voodoo Gods, Memoriam and Vltimas are three groups that lived up to their billing, and another one should be welcome into their ranks. Ironically, it’s the ex-Vltimas sticksman and Cryptopsy timekeeper, Flo Mounier, on the drum stool here for the debut Arise from Worms album, joined by Morbid Angel’s Steve Tucker and ex-Incantation shredder, Sonny Lombardozzi.
There’s no chance of this record passing over your head like an innocuous bird. Arise from Worms are up and ready in three seconds with the mightiest artillery behind them as they advance forward like a troop of superhuman soldiers in ‘Forgotten Kings’. Listen to the sharp edges of the guitars and the bludgeoning beats. The clarity in the mix is superb. Flo Mounier’s footwork is as exquisite as ever, but he has competition from Sonny Lombardozzi’s technical guitar fills, many of which shred through the scales in classical formation. Steve Tucker is happy to follow these dizzying patterns on his bass. You expect a hundred ideas to be compressed into five minutes, but they leave a lot of space in the opening song. Occasional piano runs and jazz chords penetrate through the finger-twisting metal riffs, but this is tech death that has a purpose and an abundance of memorable passages.
Of course, the trio work through more notes than a concert pianist in most of these compositions. ‘Power Obsessed’ is a vicious blast of start-stop rhythms that seem determined to allow Lombardozzi as much room as possible to demonstrate his sweep-picking skills. ‘Raize Demons Breath’ is a reminder that death metal is an evil artform. Tucker’s Morbid Angel identity follows him here like an ingrained social conditioning, but Lombardozzi’s note perfect neo-classical soloing is the opposite to Trey Azagthoth’s chaotic shred approach. You can appreciate the ominous danger and latch on to the invigoration of the melodic lead parts at the same time.
If there’s one thing that feels out of place in this malevolence, it’s the quirky lead patterns, some of which sound as comical as a vintage Gameboy. It sometimes kills any atmosphere that might linger in the darkness. You don’t hear Steve Vai or Yngwie Malmsteen exploring these textures on their fretboards because they don’t want to sound like a vintage Tom and Jerry cartoon. Yet Arise from Worms try not to neglect atmosphere. The drones and urban sprawl samples in the intro to ‘Nine Walls’ threaten to descend into a horror movie soundtrack but redirect towards an eerie jazz-scored film noir. Imposing a heavy syncopation of perfect pitch guitars on this landscape is imaginative and quite unique. The high register timbres glow in melody, whereas the riffs grind in martial prowess, never losing their sinister intent. Observe how they build towards a finale here as if charting the climax of a war propaganda film. It makes the double-timing violence of ‘Laolongtou’ even more effective.
Why can’t more death metal leave an impression on the listener like this? You can hear where an orchestra would fill the gaps. The way these riffs often change tempo in the same movement will remind you of Car Bomb, yet the imperious side of the band is closer to Samael. Every tech death group needs to know their jazz chops to stay relevant in 2026, yet Arise from Worms do not employ these lightly or as sporadic window dressing. Instead, they take inspiration from the ever-changing rhythms and love of non-repeating formulas. Thankfully, they stay away from the tuneless dissonance that defines much of modern death metal.
Ending the record on a burst of high tempo technical thrash is exactly what we need for the final chapter (see ‘Axes of the Viovode 2’). A Bleeding Tree Hanging Self Destruction is a welcome reminder that death metal can be the most forward-thinking sub-genre in the heavy metal spectrum when its creators get it right.
Kirk Houghton
Verdict
Release Date: 10/07/2026
Record Label: Church Road Records
Standout tracks: Forgotten Kings; Nine Walls; Axes of the Viovode 2
Suggested Further Listening: Virulence – A Conflict Scenario (2001), Contemplator – Morphose (2022), Vltimas – EPIC (2024)