Review by Sam on April 17, 2026.

I’m going to go ahead and assume this guy’s name is pronounced “too-GAH”, as he hails from the French Canadian province of Quebec. First off, what was wrong with Nihilistic Manifesto? Although I described his lead guitar playing as “decadent” in my review for Foreverglade, it’s also quite unobtrusive and natural. I’m not so sure the same can be said for Tougas, because when he lets it rip, it pretty much dominates the soundscape. I like to hear molten lava in the form of guitar shredding as much as the next metalhead, but was this really what was needed after Worm had already established themselves as masters of the moribund and the iniquitous? I dare say it’s like a jarring switch to saccharine when you’ve used real sugar in your coffee all your life.

Ok, so Philippe Tougas is really good. I mean, like a supreme, generational talent. I personally have never listened to the likes of Steve Vai or Yngwie Malmsteen; it’s just not my bag, but I think I can safely guess that Tougas is of that ilk of gunslinger. The evolution of Worm has been quite literally exponential, from the virtual unlistenability of Evocation Of The Black Marsh (not much of a surprise there are no reviews yet for that one, because, well, hmmm), to a band that has firmly founded their mission statement with Gloomlord, to refining the rough edges of that album into the fully formed and manifest necromantic doom masterpiece that is Foreverglade. The black metal of Starpath is very good, though Tougas-ified, and I’m not going to say much about Necropalace here because I need to spend more time with whatever the fuck that’s supposed to be. It’s just too much.

Bluenothing begins gently, with a pleasant, clean guitar over the sounds of ocean waves. The doom that Worm has perfected over the years then ensues. At 1:05, Philippe introduces himself with authority. It’s melodic, it’s shred city, it’s meedly mee, and it’s thankfully brief because it’s also a bit overwhelming. The death and black vocalizations of Phantom Slaughter then take command over that creeping, nasty beat that drummer L. Dusk plays in like every Worm song, but yet never gets old. The tempo picks up for a slough of death metal riffs colored with macabre keys, an indication of the band’s penchant for funeral doom and other fantastical forms of metal. About halfway through this epic opening piece, the dudes slow to a morbid crawl, and this is topped with tasteful lead guitar that does not distract, but adds meaning. This is why I know that Philippe Tougas is probably a musical genius, because when he shows restraint, he can properly color within the boundaries of his canvas. However, early in the nine-minute mark of the song, he proceeds to shred for what to me seems to be a “look what I can do” moment. I will venture that there are two versions of Tougas (Two-gas?) one is the egoist, the other, the artist.

Next, we have Centuries of Ooze II, and again, I have to ask what was wrong with the first one. The application of the funeral organ is dialed up for this one, and the clean voice of Phantom Slaughter, which is breathtaking, features more prominently. They also seemed to have removed the ripping 6/8 death metal sequence that appeared in the latter half of the first version. Now that Worm has a bona fide six-string wizard, who also happens to be a multi-instrumentalist, producer, recording engineer, and guitar teacher, I am curious as to what input he has and will have on the songwriting process. Slaughter is obviously the mastermind as he has a unique ability to create sensations of dread, terror, grief, disease, disgust, and ultimately triumph, but from what I’ve heard with Necropalace, the individual credited as Wroth Septentrion is and will be making more of an imprint on this ensemble.

The first three synth notes of Invoking the Dragonmoon are so similar to King Diamond’s Two Little Girls that I half expected to hear the infamous falsetto raving about dirty fingers and broken dolls. Is this near-plagiarism a side effect of the addition of Tougas? I don’t know, but what I can say is that this track, with its sounds of conflagration, eerie whispers, and Kingly keys, could have stood on its own as a segue without the masturbatory soloing, but alas, this fella wants you to know he can play. Closing piece Shadowside Kingdom also begins with vibes very similar to The Eye, reminiscent of that record’s beautiful instrumental, Insanity. This gives way to a full-on black metal assault, complete with blast beats and blazing double bass. And, yes, the shredding is unrelenting. I prefer Worm at their slowest and deathliest, although they would not be who they are without their undeniable lust for black metal and its aesthetics. It will be fascinating to see where this formation goes after their current release, which appears to be confounding to some reviewers.

Rating: 8 out of 10