With Vilest of Worms to Dwell

This is an impressive album from a side project of the dude from Pungent Stench. Far from being a death-metal CD, Hollenthon's second release is an epic work that defies easy categorization.

Hollenthon start with a crunchy death/black metal riff style, but on top of this they layer booming orchestral parts and choral effects, even some horn flourishes. A sound this eclectic should be a total mess, but the songwriting on this album is of a uniform and very high quality. "With Vilest of Worms to Dwell" is catchy, epic, and extremely varied. There are harsh vocals here, but there are also female operatic and clean male vox, backed up with full choirs on some tracks to produce something like a metal "Carmina Burana". No one track stands out as better than the rest, as the songs are without exception arresting and exciting. This is music that never does what you expect, and keeps surprising with its inventiveness and proficiency. That said, Hollenthon never forget the metal, and despite the experimental nature of the music this is good headbanging stuff.

The CD booklet is really cool, with excellent lyrics and really first-rate artwork that manages to be disturbing and nifty at once. All album packages should be this classy.

Even though this is a few years old, it should not be overlooked. I have no idea if this band is still a going concern, or if there will be another album forthcoming, but I do know that this is a quality release that every metal fan should have. With a thousand bands out there that sound alike in one way or another, Hollenthon have done something really different and unique. "With Vilest of Worms to Dwell" is a breath of fresh air in a sometimes stagnant scene.