Richmond, VA's Book Of Wyrms, Jay Lindsey (bass), Ben Coudriet (guitar), Kyle Lewis (guitar), Chris DeHaven (drums) and Sarah Moore-Lindsey (vocals, effects),describe what they do as "space rock" and given the vastness and scope of the bands sonic palette that's not a bad description. It also goes a long way in explaining the title of the bands brand new album "Sci-Fi/Fantasy" released today (January 1st 2017) on Twin Earth Records.
First track "Leatherwing Bat" comes chugging out of the speakers like a freight train driven by booming bass, pounding percussion and overlaid with gnarly fuzz heavy twin guitar attack of Coudriet and Lewis. The band jam a few bars of stoner-ish heavy metal before Moore-Lindsey enters centre stage and completely alters the dynamic, her powerful yet hauntingly sweet folkish tones a total contrast to the bombastic heaviness surrounding them and giving the bands sound an almost proggish heavy folk vibe not unlike that of 70's British troubadours Curved Air.
"Infinite Walrus" opens with a stuttering guitar riff underpinned by J. Lindsey's liquid bass runs and DeHaven's industrious drumming. A short but tasty guitar solo heralds the arrival of Moore- Lindsey's vocal, her voice sweetly swooning over the Sabbath-esque psychedelic grooves the band lay beneath her.
"Cosmic Filth" begins with a slightly off-kilter guitar motif then moves into desert rock territory with Coudriet and Lewis trading off licks and motifs over a backdrop of sandy rhythmic groove interspersed with moments of progressive/psychedelic complexity and colouring enhanced by Moore-Lindsey's slightly spacey, mellow vocal delivery.
"Nightbong" is next and has a 60's psych/pop feel to it's initial, deliciously addictive, groove, a groove that is enhanced by the addition of keyboards and Moore-Lindsey's superb vocal tones. As the song approaches the halfway mark the mood abruptly changes and the groove gets a little darker and heavier with the band moving into ambient space/heavy psych territory before taking things to the close on a wave of doom drenched heavy riffage, ethereal vocals and pounding rhythms.
"All Hollow's Eve" starts with clips of spoken narrative over shimmering percussion, booming bass lines and bluesy guitar solo's, all paving the way for Moore-Lindsey to enter with a haunting mellow and sweetly ethereal vocal, her voice weaving in and around a groove that is part slow blues, part prog/folk but all Book of Wyrms.
"Transcendental Migraine" mixes aspects of the bands Appalachian roots with traditional heavy metal grooves creating an almost Thin Lizzy/Judas Priest hybrid feel with the two guitarists trading off and harmonising guitar parts over a backdrop of hard and heavy rhythmic grooves.
"Sourwolf" closes proceedings with a song that leans slightly away from the bands space/psych core and edges more towards the doomier side of the tracks. Heavier than what has gone before previously the song sees the band fully embrace their dark side with Coudriet and Lewis employing Iommi-esque guitar licks,solo's and riffs over J. Lindsey's low gnarly bass lines and DeHaven's thunderous doomy percussion all finished off with Moore-Lindsey's beautifully mellow/sweet tones soaring majestically over the top.
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