Worship
Last Tape Before Doomsday (Cassette) Last Vinyl Before Doomsday (LP) 1999 2001 Impaler of Trendies Painiac
This album is the ultimate soundtrack to suicide. The depressive atmosphere, the lyrics, the insane grunting and screaming and the actual suicide of vocalist Fucked Up Mad Max all add to that observation. These four songs of minimalistic doom contain the complete stages of suicide, from depression to all out despair, then to calm acceptance and consolation. From there on anger and tension, sometimes blossoming into unspecific rage. Finally there is the suicide itself, the slow preparation, the melancholic mood and then… the fatal moment. The heart beats faster as you say goodbye to life. You still linger in this imperfect world, but you are slowly but steadily drawn to the other side. Suddenly, the impending doom is upon you and you are torn from life. All that remains is your last screaming breath, echoing in the air. Worship have put this all to music in a way that I like very much. The songs are very slow, empty and melancholic. Expect only heavy distortion guitars with wailing, clean lead, sickening grunts and screams and depressing clean moans. No keyboards and only a little piano and drums fill it all out. The first song ends with a beautiful depressive guitar solo, in slow doom style. Another memorable point in the album is the moment of death in the last song, where stereo guitars slam into your brain, ushering in death, coming to get you. Expect 46 minutes of emotional drain and insanity. Even though Max, the singer, apparently really committed suicide after making this album, I don't think this album makes you want to do yourself in. The suicide presented by Worship is far too gruesome and horrifying to push you over the edge. 'Last Vinyl Before Doomsday' confronts you with death, and that ain't a pretty sight. The music, though, is top notch, and highly recommended to any lover of (minimalistic) extreme doom. Kill yourself…and worship!	1. Whispering Gloom 2. Solicide and the Dawning of the Moonkult 3. Eclipse of Sorrow 4. Worship Approx. 45 minutes The vinyl version has a different cover.
Reviewed by: Oscar Strik
Mournful Congregation / Worship Split (7") 2002 Painiac Records
In 2001 Worship vocalist and drummer Max passed away and that sad event seemingly foreshadowed the end of the cult underground project by himself and Daniel "The Doommonger" Vaross. Luckily, Daniel decided not to let the legacy die and Worship is still officially existent and there may be perspectives for the release of the second full length DOOOM that was left unfinished after Max' death. In the meantime, there were two tracks left unreleased that Daniel and Max recorded together. The last of them is featured on this release, together with the dedication to Max by those of the Mournful Congregation. Side A features the 8-minute long epic by the Australian band. The song tells the story of mankind, a people doomed to remain stuck in this world of misery, seeking solace in each other, yet never finding true release. Only the individual that devotes him or herself to the truth beyond our existence and walks a path hidden from the ignorant others may pass beyond the veil and reach the other side. A beautiful theme in itself and an even better way to honour the memory of Max. I hope that Max was able to reach that Nirvanic temple Mournful Congregation speaks of. Musically, the band has taken a bit of a different approach than in the past. Instead of going for their former sound, an ultra-slow and utterly depressing mix of old My Dying Bride and Thergothon, they chose to make a more melodic song, with an emphasis on the lead guitars. The result is a very honest, emotional track that puts many other melodic doom bands to shame. This one goes straight to the heart and if this song is any indication for the upcoming works of the band, 2004 is going to be the year of the comeback of Mournful Congregation. And now for the older work. While Worship's songs on the classic Last Vinyl Before Doomsday are very minimalistic, the songs on their three 7” releases have a more full-bodied sound. According to Daniel this is largely Max’ influence, who put a bit more aggression into these songs, where the ones on the LP were more depressive. As such, ‘Let There Be Doom…’ is a bit different from the material on the full length. The song is more monotonous, the presence of the drums is greater and the tempo is more constant. Besides those differences, this is the same unrelenting and dark ultra-doom the band is famous for. The name says it all… Fans of either of the bands will gobble this stuff up, but sadly this limited to 500 release sold out some time ago. Desperate people can always try and contact Painiac records though, and maybe get lucky. For those not so lucky some substitute can be found in the other releases of these great bands, which are more widely available. In short, this is high quality extreme doom for those who love theirs served raw, cold, empty, depressive, and so on… Before even dreams were dreamt of There existed misery...	Mournful Congregation: 1. The Epitome Of Gods And Men Alike Worship: 2. Let There Be Doom... Approx. 17 minutes
Reviewed by: Oscar Strik
Worship / Stabat Mater Split (10") 2002 Painiac Records
When it comes to extreme funeral doom, these two bands are in a league of their own. There are other funeral doom bands that explore themes of torment and the utterly gruesome. Yet none of them combine this with the intense, distorted into the inhuman, screams of both guitars and vocals: a perfect release for the masochistic doomsters. Worship is a cult band known for their extreme musical expressions. Their suicidal and self-tormenting lyrics combined with the claustrophobic and disheartening bleakness create an auditory experience that can no longer be called music. I'm having a hard time putting words on what this piece of cruel sound is, but whatever it is, it is truly one of the sickest works of audio torture. Stabat Mater is less known and slightly less distorted as well. This Finnish band is extremely obscure and it seems that no one really knows who they are. After releasing this piece of music I can well understand why. As I listen to this track for what seems like the millionth time, I am still not prepared for what I am about to hear. It begins with an interlude with radio fuzz, and if you listen carefully you can hear the very faint screams in the background that give you a little hint of what is to come. A dark, sadistic voice rumbles ominously, and almost godlike. This is the master speaking. And for every master there has to be a slave... It is here that the incomprehensible comes into play. Two long sections of flogging, hellish screams, sobbing and truly realistic howls of pain gnaws its way straight into the heart root. This is absolutely the most sadistic creation in the metal genre that has ever been done. When the outro comes and the aura of the torture chamber fades into radio fuzz again, it is a relief. This is definitely not recommended to the weak of heart. I'm left behind with a reflection on the two tracks of horror that have come to pass during the last twenty minutes. It is night and I have to go to bed. It is probably better to face the images and go upstairs to invoke the inevitable nightmare.	Worship: 1. Song For Our Slaves-In The Name Of Selfkrucifixion Stabat Mater: 2. Give Them Pain Approx. 21 minutes
Reviewed by: Arnstein H. Pettersen
Last CD Before Doomsday (CD) 2004 Weird Truth
What can I say, what excuse is there for reviewing re-releases? Well in this case, I'll use the limited availability of the original and the bonus track as one. For those who were unable to procure the 'Last Tape' or 'Last Vinyl', here is the chance to lay your hands on the most important milestone in minimalistic funeral doom since Thergothon's 'Stream From The Heavens' and Mournful Congregation's 'An Epic Dream Of Desire'. Added to the four brilliant tracks of the original (scroll up for details) is the crushing "Keep On Selling Cocaine To Angels" which appeared on the very rare 7" split with Agathocles in 2000. This song in heavier in style than the album works, as are the other two songs which appeared on 7-inches. This is absolutely Worship, though, and it is in these songs that the spirit of Mad Max shines through best: grim, dirty, spiteful and full of hate for humanity. The lyrics are all printed in the finely laid out booklet, which also features a discography and pictures. This one is again a limited release so instead of reading this review you should actually be out there ordering this classic while you still can… shoo!	1. Whispering Gloom 2. Solicide And The Dawning Of The Moonkult 3. Eclipse Of Sorrow 4. Worship 5. Weep On Selling Cocaine To Angels Approx. 55 minutes
Reviewed by: Oscar Strik
Worship / Loss Split (7") 2005 Painiac
This is another must-have release for lovers of underground extreme doom. Both the legendary Worship and relative newcomers Loss show us that they're up for some more years of aural doom torture. There's been a lot of discussion about the 'new' Worship on the internet over the past few years, mostly centered around whether or not the band would be worth anything without the contribution of the late Max Varnier. Well, the answer is pretty easy. If you thought Worship was all about Max and the cult surrounding the band, you won't like the new material. Simple as that. On the other hand, if you thought that Worship was about hope-crushing über-doom, this new one goes pretty well with the old material. The new track lies somewhere between the sound on the 'Last X Before Doomsday' album and that on the various splits. Not as empty-sounding as the album, but not as raw as the splits. Besides that, this still sounds like Worship to me. It's slow, heavy doom, it's got that characteristic lead guitar and deep growls, plus it's got a new style acoustic guitar interlude to spice things up a little. Simply good stuff, and my expectations for the upcoming 'DOOOM' album are high. Loss is, like I said, a newcomer in the scene. Their demo was released as a tape by Weird Truth in 2004, and I was very impressed by their mournful, melodic funeralish doom style. This new track has a bit of a different approach, but for some reason both the old and new material remind me most of Mournful Congregation. That is to say, Loss manage to sound a lot like MC in terms of atmosphere, without sounding like a copycat. What we're left with is no-frills melodic modern doom, which should be a treat for any doomster. Listening to the last fading riff on 'An Ill Body Seats My Sinking Sight', I know Loss will be able to make an absolutely killer debut album in the future. So, yet another quality 7" from the dark forges of Belgium. Fred Painiac has an ear for this kind of stuff, and it's possible to blindly buy stuff from the suicidal doom series. You just know it's gonna be good. This latest split has some macabre cover art by N. Solieri, and it's limited to 400 pieces. So, hop to it! Life is pain, get used to it...	Worship: 1. Devived Loss: 2. An Ill Body Seats My Sinking Sight Approx. 16 minutes
Reviewed by: Oscar Strik
Dooom (CD/2LP) 2007 Endzeit Elegies/Painiac
or some, it's been eight years of waiting, for others, less, but it's a fact that Worship's second album 'Dooom' took quite some time to grow. For several years after the tragic death of Max Varnier, the more conspicuous half of this doom duo, the whole project was put away. But, remaining member and main songwriter Daniel decided that the best way to honour Max was to take his legacy and bring it to completion. And he was right. 'Dooom' takes the early ideas that were conceived by Max and Daniel, ripened them over half a decade, and delivers them in a mature, final version. 'Dooom' is a massive funeral doom record that incorporates the minimalist sadness from the early Worship days, along with some touches that can be considered new. But mostly, it's that familiar desperate sound. The two brilliant opening tracks are a testament to that. Excruciatingly slow, sparse drums, heavy distortion combined with painful leads, deep growls, spoken word, and tolling death bells; it's all there. This is also a concept album. 'Last Album Before Doomsday' was like a chaotic scream, a final angry fit before the end, but 'Dooom' is more focused in its post-apocalyptic religious story. The lyrics aren't always explicit, but definitely moody and fitting. The same goes for the artwork on this luxury cross-foldout digipak. (The album is also available as 2xLP from Painiac, as is traditional.) New musical elements are, besides a rich and loving production, few and far between, but they deserve mention. Especially the low clean vocals and choirs on 'Graveyard Horizon', one of my fave tracks anyway, are very nice. 'Zorn A Rust-Red Scythe' features some Evoken-style clean leads, as well as a twisted piano outro from Max and Daniel's last recording session together. 'Devived' is an alternative version of the one that appeared on the split 7" with Loss, more fitting to the general sound of the album. 'Mirror of Sorrow' is not only a superb, crushing track, it's also a Solitude Aeturnus cover. The final track then ends the album in style, as it slowly takes over the melody from 'Song for Our Slaves - In the Name of Self-Crucifixion', that track from the rare 2000 split with Agathocles. Worship comes full circle and ties up the ends, leaving the future open. So, is this the perfect follow-up? Well, to be honest, there's no perfect in my book. This is a sad, crushing album that will definitely grow on the listener in its many details. Yet, I somehow miss that which made 'Last Album' into a timeless classic. 'Dooom' has less fireworks in the lead guitar department, there's the absence of Max's in-your-face French vomit... That might be it, and perhaps it's unavoidable. To be fair: 'Last Album' for me is nigh impossible to surpass. I therefore judge this album by its own merits, and they are many. 'Dooom' is a more than worthy sophomore effort, and definitely one of the top funeral and doom records of the year; and I take my hat off to the efforts of Doommonger, Satachrist, and the late Fucked Up Mad Max. The past is honoured, here's to the future...	Book 1: 1. Endzeit Elegy 2. All I Ever Knew Lie Dead 3. The Altar and the Choir of the Moonkult 4. Graveyard Horizon Book 2: 5. Zorn A Rust-Red Scythe 6. Devived 7. Mirror of Sorrow 8. I Am the End - Crucifixion Part II Approx. 73 minutes
Reviewed by: Oscar Strik