Worms Rise Up! is a rock opera released by the band of the same name. The album details the worm rebellion that eventually crushes humanity after thousands of years of worm subservience. Based in Columbus, Ohio, the ensemble features former Milwaukee resident Nick Weckman on guitar and vocals, Jennifer Dutiel and Amy Gadd on vocals, Kevin Holland on guitar, Taylor “Knifight” Byrd on bass, “Yeah Troy” Kunkler on percussion, and Caleb Miller on keyboards. The album is a stylistic tour-de-force, bolding moving across many different genres in order to tell its story.
The album opens with “We Are From The Future,” setting the scene for the eventual worm takeover of planet earth. With guitar riffs and rhythmic fills reminiscent of prog rock bands like Yes or orchestral rock bands like Electric Light Orchestra, the energy of the introduction track shifts wildly. In “Sell The Buckets!” The ensemble moves fluidly from funk into heavy rock reminiscent of Steppenwolf. The following track “Mankind is a Plague” immediately launches into a heavy metal style something like a cross between Metallica and Tool.
Throughout the album, Weckman’s vocals skillfully walk the line between sincerity and camp, and the enthusiastic support from the ensemble supports Weckman’s theatrics. His delivery features growly metal vocals (“Mankind Is A Plague”), MC Hammer-style rap (“The Ballade of Kubla Worm”), and even heavily processed vocals similar to Depeche Mode (“Since I Was”), among other styles.
For anybody who loves progressive rock, the rock operas of the ‘70s and the ‘80s, and even campy music like the Rocky Horror Picture Show, as well as wildly skillful musicians, Worms Rise Up! is a must-listen. The album was released on January 12, 2020 and is available on the group’s Bandcamp page.
