Review: “Worm Tongue” by Ancient Malice

Taking a DIY or DIE approach in part thanks to a mutual love of late 80’s demo culture and tape trading, Dublin Ireland Grinding Death Metal fiends Ancient Malice have announced their return with EP “Worm Tongue” as if they never left the rehearsal space after recording last years gloriously titled album “Accept the Vile Gifts of the Dead”. Bassist Ian Lawless Bass (Coldwar), drummer Adam Power (Sheep Dip) and guitarist Paul Nash (Senzar, Clay Pigeon, Coldwar) stand beside vocalist and guitarist Stephen Maher (Bereaved, Abaddon Incarnate, Geasa) as the quartet seem determined to get you in a headlock and run head first into oncoming traffic. Recorded without a click track or drop-ins, to keep things raw and loose, the songs muse on themes of morbidity, depression, psychedelics and left-hand path occultism with HM-2 riffs and blast beats the promise.

The old school Death Grind begins with “Oracle of Lies“, a two minute long vicious assault on the senses that feels like decades of pure hatred being unleashed in one single moment. That doesn’t stop the quartet getting creative with a groovy finale, a few haunting clean vocals and an eclectic solo for shits and giggles though. A moment that injects something different, rather than detracting from the early Entombed style pummelling, it adds to it before the short, sharp shock of “Eko Eko Azarak“. Whammy bar madness makes this angry anthem a fun piece of violent turbulence, the galloping drums and brutal screams intertwining with the barbed riffs with a sense of insanity.

A five minute surpassing magnum opus with some Doom laden overtones “Saprophiliax” brings the weighty, long, drawn out screams of the dead, dying and damned to the Kings table as the quartet go low and slow with fuzzy riffs galore. That shouldn’t come as a surprise as its something we’ve heard from them previously although Death Grind purists will probably shake their heads in disappointment even though variety is the spice of life. The cut exudes old school charm as it bleeds from every hole, the punchy mid-tempo groove parts with their monstrous death growls giving it all the weight and gravity that you need.

Title track “Worm Tongue” is a dramatic return to Death Grind, the quartet strapping themselves in as they go hell for leather at break neck speed and while they have taken a warts and all approach, it’s hard to pick out any obvious mistakes. It’s very much like they’re playing live on the floor of their rehearsal space, challenging each other to play harder and faster between beers. That approach means they get the best out of each other without the need for any outside influence while having a laugh, something that is obvious with finale “Billions Must Grind“. Remember “You Suffer” by Napalm Death? This is that on steroids! [7/10]

Track Listing

1. Oracle of Lies
2. Eko Eko Azarak
3. Saprophiliax
4. Worm Tongue
5. Billions Must Grind

“Worm Tongue” by Ancient Malice is out 4th September 2026 and is available over at bandcamp