| Musical Style: Orchestral Metal | Produced By: Gabriel Neale |
| Record Label: Soundmass | Country Of Origin: UK |
| Year Released: 2025 | Artist Website: Ecthirion |
| Tracks: 8 | Rating: 80% |
| Running Time: 37:42 |
Intense, brooding and serene- these are the characteristics defining King Of Wormwood, the November of 2025 released Soundmass Records third full-length album from Ecthirion. The UK based act is renowned for its self-proclaimed ‘orchestral metal’ designation in which it connects aspects of the symphonic, classical, theatrical, Gothic, epic, folk-like and extreme within a power and progressive metal framework. When factoring such concentration of styles - not to mention influences including Nightwish, Dream Theater, Angra , Symphony X and Veni Domine - one would be hard pressed to suggest Ecthirion is not one of the more innovative and ingenious acts within hard music circles.
The group got its start in 2008 when founded by multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Neale (vocals, guitar, bass & programming), whom along with drummer Dominic Leach and guitarist and bassist Simon Treasure recorded the following year the Soundmass Records five-song debut EP Apocalyptic Visions. With its lineup revamped to include Gabriel and classically trained vocalist and wife Hannah Neal, Ecthirion returned in 2018 with full-length effort Psalms Of The Living Dead (also Soundmass) in which it ‘mirrors multiple influences and musical styles’ that serve to showcases its ‘varied but creative songwriting’ (quoting the 85% Angelic Warlord review).
King Of Wormwood traces to the songs Gabriel put together between 2014 and 2020. Due to the demands of life, however, the project ended up on hiatus - artist moved to a new home in 2021 but waited to 2024 to set up his studio space - until he concluded there is no point in his new material sitting on a hard drive indefinitely. Gabriel as a result decided to release King Of Wormwood in a demo format, referencing the albums liner notes: ‘I decided to humble my pride and be happy with my own demo mixing and all the poor takes which were just jotting things down. You, the listener, can decide if you like Ecthirion more raw!’
Ecthirion is noted for releasing theme-based albums, with Psalms Of A Living Dead as its title implies drawing inspiration from the Book of Psalms. King Of Wormwood follows suit in basing upon ‘how we can get so distracted in life, spending all our time, money and thoughts on what might be just castles in the sand’ (again, albums liner notes).
Album opens to three minute cinematic keyboard instrumental “Initium” followed by first full-length vocal piece, “I, King Of Wormwood”. Song presents with seven masterful minutes of symphonic progressive metal, opening to female cathedral choirs ahead of metal guitar striding in to set the engaging tone moving forward as operatic female vocals trade off with those baritone male. Keyboards lend an orchestral element and lead guitar a neo-classical configuring. Lyric snippet:
Until I lay in a tomb of stone
Will I seek and strive, a king upon my wormwood throne?
Our war is won by the sword and shield
Yet my sword lies in pieces on the battlefield
Self-inflicted tragedies
Striving for what was never meant to be
Am I chained by my vice
Into which pit will I slide
Second consecutive epic ensues in the eight minute “Tyrant”. Initial two are instrumental as opening choir vocals give way to symphonic keyboards and ominous overtures to set the unearthly tone drifting ahead. Final six minutes alter between Hannah’s operatic croon and whispered extreme male vocals, with gist a portent Gothic to doom tinged temper drawing upon equal parts Saviour Machine and Veni Domine. The instrumental time change covering the final two minutes sees foreboding keyboards take charge.
Medieval tinged instrumental “Light Prevails” begins to open-air guitar that descends into piano and gentle acoustic signatures, the airy formula gradually giving way to graceful guitar harmonies placed over double kick drum. Beautifully, the final minute and half drifts to classical bass aligned with buoyant keyboards and added acoustic guitar.
“Slave To The False Messiah” begins calmly reticent, but at just the moment you think it an AOR ballad it churns into a metal slugger with lower register, aggressive vocals to boot. Musically, I take to the song with its cool borderline doom like to thrash nuances with dramatic keyboards defiant in the backend- there is even a jazzy-fusion-classical quality to guitar at times. Vocally, not my cup of tea, although I still bestow a thumbs-up for quality to music as a one shot deal, noting if entire album were in such vocal direction I might pass. Lyric snippet:
Is it out of selfish ambition or by true motivation?
Is it to console your guilt or by human pride?
Humans can’t become gods,
we can’t work out our own salvation
On our own we are simply mortal men
I won’t drown,
I won’t empty my pockets
I won’t bow down at the temple of the false prophets
Bone chilling piano covers the length to “Cometh The Leech”, a gracefully reserved but heightened melodic ballad in which symphonic female vocals return alongside supporting male baritone vocals. Periodic rhythm guitar applies a heavier resolve. Melody emanating throughout resonates of the pompous but in a positive sense. Group proves its versatility going from a borderline metal thrash cut to a gentler ballad and pulls off the at times extreme and others melodic focus seamlessly.
“Underture” represents another creative track as searing feedback, dreamy piano, pummeling drums, dramatic keyboards and church organ make appearance. Vocals receive a distant mix but transition between calmly done choir-like chanting and deeply shadowy growling. That said there is so much going on the song seems abbreviated at four minutes- I would like to have seen it prolonged to expand on such musical diversity. Lyric snippet:
I toiled every day under the sun
Pained by the vanity of my endeavor
The castle within
Always seeks to outgrow
All the bounds set in stone
By immortal hands
Untamed despite power
Unquenchable fire
Burns me from the hole inside
Album closes to minute long classically influenced instrumental “Mortalitas”.
King Of Wormwood feels like an EP that is extended by several instrumental cuts. By no means is that a critique but rather neutral observation in light of the quality presented. If the album represents a compiling of ‘half done’ or ‘unfinished’ demos then they are of VERY high caliber. Songs such as “I, King Of Wormwood”, “Tyrant”, “Light Prevails” and “Cometh The Leech” nail it far as orchestral metal goes. Speaking of which, I will always remain a fan of the Ecthirion outside the box and unpredictable creativity, noting manner in which there are so many changes between songs in terms of time and tempo and musical direction. Credit both Ecthirion and Soundmass for making King Of Wormwood available.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “Initium” (2:44), “I, King Of Wormwood” (7:20), “Tyrant” (7:44), “Light Prevails” (4:36), “Slave To The False Messiah” (6:08), “Cometh The Leech” (4:04), “Underture” (4:00), “Mortalitas” (1:10)
Musicians
Gabriel Neale - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Bass & Programming
Hannah Neale - Lead Vocals
Additional Musicians
Spencer Lee - Drums
Dave Cooney - Lead Vocals
