WORSHIPPER plays in a space somewhere at the intersection of NWOBHM, Doom, and Psychedelic. They formed a decade ago in Boston, Massachusetts and have three studio albums and one live album to their credit. Their latest release, “One Way Trip,” dropped on July 19 via Magnetic Eye Records. It’s a solid album, playing toward the midstream of underground—e.g. underground by virtue of the size of their audience as opposed to the style of their music. This isn’t a criticism, just noting they’re not on the Extreme Metal side of the spectrum.  

The band states that lyrically they “take a kaleidoscopic view of the human condition through a psychedelic lens” and that the overall structure of “One Way Trip” was “influenced by the psychological horror thriller Jacob's Ladder in which a Vietnam veteran is plagued by flashbacks and monstrous visions that added a loose circular concept to the entire album.” If you haven’t seen the movie, it’s a horror classic. Highly recommended if psychological horror is your thing.

The vocal harmonies of Clayton Cushman and David Csicsely remind me of Blue Oyster Cult, and maybe that’s a good parallel. BoC, regardless of their postulations, were never a Metal band, but they did craft some excellent Metal adjacent music. I think WORSHIPPER is a lot like that. They can get heavy at times but it’s more of an artistic choice to support the narrative of the song rather than a visceral impulse to exorcise some kind of inner demons. Again, not necessarily a bad thing, but I like Metal more on the visceral side.

WORSHIPPER is at their best on tracks like “Only Alive” and “The Spell,” with their steady pace and earnest but not over the top messaging, and the “James Motel” which is both heavy and dark—easily the best track on the album. They are at their worst when the didactic posture of their messaging overpowers middle-of-the-road musical delivery. Not that the musicianship is bad, it’s just that the songwriting for many of the tracks isn’t strong enough to make them truly compelling.

Overall, “One Way Trip” is a mixed bag. WORSHIPPER is a good enough band, certainly, but not distinctive enough to really stand out in the metalsphere. Returning fans are likely to enjoy; Extreme Metal fans should proceed with caution.