Space. The final frontier. The great and ever expanding unknown. As a species, we humans are fascinated by the cold void of space. The unknown terrifies, yet sparks our curiosity. We become uncomfortable not knowing exactly what will lurk in the darkest regions. Things are unpredictable, yet always fascinating. The puzzle presented to us bewilders us, but with each new layer it entrances and astounds, exactly like the technical, and labyrinthine metal of WORMED.

This being their first release in 3 years, I was slightly disappointed to see that this EP is only 15 minutes long, but almost every second is used wisely. Almost. Opening with frantic brutality in "Remote Void," WORMED waste no time and get straight to churning out stunning riffs. Riffs and ideas blossom and develop, slowly morphing and evolving throughout the run time. Each song represents a kaleidoscope of riffing. Multiple different styles and feels of Metal riff blend together seamlessly, with supreme songwriting flair and sense of structure. From jagged, razor sharp prog riffs to atmospheric blackened elements, these four songs do it all. Intense metal like this is bound to be exhausting, but WORMED know this, and give brief moments for respite, meaning when the heaviness returns, it is at full strength.

This EP is quite simply fantastic, however some brief moments do show room for improvement. For example, the second track "Cryptoubiquity," ends with an atmospheric swelling of synthetic pads. In isolation, this section is indeed captivating, with wonderfully programmed synths with great sense of movement, but this is the only real time synths are used. Therefore, instead of feeling like another facet of this band's sound, they feel out of place. Dare I say they feel "alien"? WORMED obviously know what they're doing with synths, as these sounds feel professional, but they either need to incorporate synths into their sound, or not use them. Other than this however, my only real complaint is my long standing pet peeve for fade out endings. STOP BEING LAZY. Write a proper ending for the song, don't just give up and fade the track out. You're going to have to write a proper ending if you ever want to play the material live anyways!

WORMED have harnessed the energy of a collapsing star here, and have forged something truly excellent here, truly befitting of their strong discography. Despite my small issues with not incorporating synths properly and fade out endings, I can't help but love this EP. I just wish there were more of it! Here's hoping it doesn't take 3 years for the next release.