(Industrial Death/Black Metal) Zyklon - World Ov Worms - 2001, MP3, 320 kbps

Zyklon sounds like an explosive concept even before you play the CD: it is comprised of Emperor guitarist Samoth (now Zamoth) and drummer Trym, Myrkskog guitarist Destructhor, and Limbonic Art's Daemon on vocals. Furthermore, considerable effort seems to be going into making it clear to everyone that this is a full-time band and not just a side project. So, in the end, what does it sound like? Well, it tends to sit somewhere between Myrkskog and a guitar-oriented Emperor. Daemon's vocals are competent, but a bit different and less remarkable than his work with Limbonic Art, perhaps because the rest of the sound has so little in common with LA's symphonies. Trym's drumming and the guitar playing, however, reveal their imperial origins, but the Myrkskog component in the latter is often clear. The result is a sharp-sounding, agile and dynamic album that combines massive aggression and superior technicality with good ambient-setting, somewhat futuristic (or perhaps present day?) samples and electronic passages. The music is intense and rapidly shifting; modern black/death metal is perhaps the description that suits it better, as their style lies somewhere between Emperor's black metal (sans keyboards) and Myrkskog's stronger death metal influences. The result definitely works well and _World Ov Worms_ is generally consistent and varied throughout. Ulver's Trickster G (i.e. Garm) contributes a few vocal lines in the last track, which turns out to be quite pleasant. _World Ov Worms_ is quite clearly derived from Emperor and Myrkskog, but it is nevertheless a very impressive record in its own right.
[Paul Schwarz: "Though solid brutal death/black riff and rhythm work sits comfortably with modern electronic sounds at intervals on _World Ov Worms_, this record focuses on getting the most it can from metal's instrumental set-up. The result is a good, enjoyable record, but looks creatively tame and almost repetitive next to the Thorns album."]

Samoth Guitars, Bass
Destructhor Guitars (lead), Bass
Trym Drums, Percussion, Programming