WORM's "Necropalace," released February 13 via Century Media Records, is already being hailed as a frontrunner for album of the year across multiple metal publications — and it is only March. The Florida doom/black metal act's seven-track, hour-long opus has captivated critics and fans alike with its immersive, otherworldly atmosphere and ambitious songwriting that pushes the boundaries of what extreme metal can achieve.
The album features a stunning guest appearance by former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman on "Witchmoon: The Infernal Masquerade," a nine-minute epic that showcases Friedman's signature melodic sensibility against a backdrop of crushing doom riffs and atmospheric black metal passages. The collaboration came about through mutual admiration: WORM mastermind Phantom Slaughter reached out to Friedman after the guitarist expressed admiration for the band's previous work on social media. The result is one of the most unexpectedly brilliant pairings in recent metal history.
The album was produced by Arthur Rizk, whose production credits read like a who's who of modern underground metal — POWER TRIP, BLOOD INCANTATION, SUMERLANDS, and CAVALERA among them. Rizk's analog-focused production approach gives "Necropalace" a warm, organic sound that enhances its cavernous atmosphere without sacrificing heaviness. Publications including Decibel, Invisible Oranges, and Metal Injection have already placed it at or near the top of their mid-year projections. For a band that has operated largely in the underground, "Necropalace" represents a breakthrough moment that could introduce WORM to a vastly wider audience.