“Let the land take what is lost and the whispers fade into the void.”
In the world of heavy music, few could have predicted the impact blackened deathcore would go on to make in recent years. Once a niche offshoot of deathcore, confined to a small cluster of piano-laden bands in the early 2010s, the style truly found its footing during a sudden and unexpected surge in the mid-2010s through the likes of Lorna Shore and Shadow of Intent. The idea of deathcore, an unapologetically crushing and vitriolic metal subgenre, colliding with the inherent somberness of symphonically inclined black metal, was undeniably compelling. With the skateboard-smashing era of MySpace deathcore left behind and with its tired memory fading fast, it seemed the genre had finally uncovered the missing component needed to restore its now-diminished spark.
Of course, musical trends remain ever cyclical, and in the present day, the deathcore community finds itself looking further back than ever before, as newcomers such as PSYCHO-FRAME and Killing of a Sacred Deer embody the ancestral deathcore spirit with vigor and grace, opting for a raw and sonically unfiltered assault that invokes feelings of nostalgia among deathcore-privy millennials. Although recent releases from Lorna Shore and their contemporaries have been met with a tidal wave of cynicism, many listeners still find comfort in the sound, as Lorna Shore continues to sit at the height of their popularity. As such, a contingent of respectable artists is still carrying the torch, even as the style simmers quietly on the back burner for now.
One such act is Worm Shepherd, a band that has undergone a considerable number of lineup changes during its relatively brief tenure. Even so, while the pressure’s on behind the curtain, the quality has consistently risen to the occasion, as Worm Shepherd have delivered a steady stream of standout releases since emerging in 2020. Now, as Tre Perdue is backed fiercely bythe newly combined talents of The Archaic Epidemic’s Ian Smith, Ingested’s Tom O’Malley, and the return of PSYCHO-FRAME’s Leo McClain, Tre and company have paved the way for a new era that begins with Dawn of the Iconoclast.
“The Omen” sets an early precedent for Dawn of the Iconoclast as it opens with a euphony of orchestral arrangements and clean guitars that accentuate the accompanying deathcore assault. And, of course, no modern deathcore release would be complete without a thunderous onslaught of breakdowns to cap it off; something Worm Shepherd are more than willing to deliver in abundance.
“Soulless Lament” channels the early 2020s with a track that feels reminiscent of Lorna Shore’s Immortal, drifting between dramatic, theatrical choruses and erratically pulverizing double-kick breakdowns. In contrast, “Feast” is a grounded mid-tempo track that largely abandons traditional breakdowns, choosing instead to draw the listener into a hypnotic, atmospheric passage that eventually erupts into a fierce blackened assault, clipping its wings and snapping back to earth in its latter half.
Venturing forth, “Sanctified Rot” highlights some of Tre Perdue’s intricate sweeping techniques, leading into “Whispers of a Buried Land”, which serves as a grand finale for Dawn of the Iconoclast. Stretching across seven remarkable minutes, the track builds toward a monumental, climactic breakdown, supported by lush orchestral arrangements and haunting choral chants, giving “Whispers of a Buried Land” the epic, immersive feel of an experience akin to something from a Dark Souls game. Perhaps, then, that the grandiosity of “Whispers of a Buried Land” mirrors the trajectory Worm Shepherd have charted for 2026; sometimes, the curtains of the past must be drawn before new horizons can be unveiled, and if Dawn of the Iconoclast is any indication, a new era has dawned, and it will herald forth greatness.
8.5/10
Dawn of the Iconoclast is out Friday, February 20th, via Unique Leader Records, and you can pre-order it here.