Mallephyr are from the Czech Republic and play black/death metal. This is their second album.

Womb of Worms contains 38 minutes of occult, misanthropic black metal that’s bolstered in places by the inherent might and muscle of death metal. It also features a member of Panychida.

There’s a decent amount of variety on display across these tracks, with the black and death metal elements waxing or waning according to the whims of the band. On occasion they decide to play a section that’s pure black metal, or completely death metal, but most of the time it’s a hybrid mix of the two in varying ratios.

I particularly enjoy Mallephyr when they’re at their fastest, with the sharp blackened rhythms aided by slicing melodies. Although having said that, I also like it when they adopt a savagely mid-paced riffy approach. At other times I like it when the death metal influences come to the fore and the band produce something that crushes the non-believers in front of them.

Each song has its own character and personality, with each of them having a reason to be here and offering something a bit different. Mallephyr clearly have a range of influences that they pull from, but the end result is pulled together quite well.

The vocals are similarly varied. Mostly the delivery is more to the black metal side of the equation, with a range of snarls, screams, and chants performed. Deep growls and deathly vocalisations are used too, however, (as well as some other styles), and we get a good selection overall.

Womb of Worms is well-written and structured. It’s aggressive and violent, but not without a certain occult atmosphere or melodic skill. This is a quality, enjoyable listen, and I recommend this for anyone into the dark, blackened arts.