Description
Ever since their emergence in early 2016nbspHMLTD, avid advocates of the Gesamtkunstwerk, have always striven to give audiences more. On their wildly ambitious second album, they are realising these aims on a truly epic scale.Created over the course of two years with a cast of 47 musicians ndash including a gospel choir and a 16piece string orchestra ndashnbspThe Wormnbspis less a concept album than a fullyfledged musical universe, transcending genre and medium. Set in a disorienting anachronistic version of Medieval England ndash as steeped in dystopian scifi fantasy as it is folklore and Old English mythology ndash itrsquos part political polemic, part deeply moving psychological journey.Though always admired for their defiantly genreagnostic approach, The Worm sees HMLTD pushing sonic experimentation to a whole new level, from dissonant free jazz riffing to vintage soul and English folk fusions to rock opera. Major musical touchpoints included Stravinskyrsquos lsquoRite Of Springrsquo, Pink Floyd and Nina Simonersquos rendition of lsquoSinnermanrsquo and references for the world of The Worm included 14th century texts The Canterbury Tales and The Decameron, Aleksey Germanrsquos 2013 scifi film Hard To Be A God, Bergmanrsquos The Seventh Seal and Tarkovskyrsquos Andrei Rublev and the hopeful narrative arc of 90s mecha anime series lsquoNeon Genesis Evangelionrsquo.