Review by Adam M on October 28, 2014.

An aggressive, stripped down form of thrash is presented nicely on Book of the Worm. This is relatively straight forward death metal that brings chops and good song-writing to the table in a manner not unlike Morbid Angel’s Alters of Madness. In fact, Book of the Worm is a good alternative to that one if you still have the thirst for a similar sound to the classic album.

Guitar riffs are intense in nature, but not overly technical either. Thus the album is one that is good for short bursts of listens rather than an overly contemplative one. Everything is done so well for the style that there aren’t really many regrets to the simplicity of the style. Fans of the style of Obscura and mid to late period Death might not find what they’re looking for. Those that appreciate classics like early Obituary, early Death or early Morbid Angel will find more to be enamored with, however. The songs also have a bit of a black metal flavor that is incorporated by some of these death metal bands to give their music more character. Here, the death metal overrides the slight black metal aura that is largely supplied in part by the vocals. It’s an addiction to the power of the riff and assault of the percussion that wins out in the overall sound, as seen from Through the Gates (They Come For Me), for example. The songs are short, but consistent and all make an impact in their short running times.

The lack of innovation might be a fault to some, but when music is written this well, it’s their addictive and crushing nature that will appeal to the listener. This isn’t a new vision for death metal, but an excellent re-visitation of an old one. Fans of rudimentary classic death metal will be very satisfied with Book of the Worm.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Adam M on October 28, 2014.

An aggressive, stripped down form of thrash is presented nicely on Book of the Worm. This is relatively straight forward death metal that brings chops and good song-writing to the table in a manner not unlike Morbid Angel’s Alters of Madness. In fact, Book of the Worm is a good alternative to that one if you still have the thirst for a similar sound to the classic album.

Guitar riffs are intense in nature, but not overly technical either. Thus the album is one that is good for short bursts of listens rather than an overly contemplative one. Everything is done so well for the style that there aren’t really many regrets to the simplicity of the style. Fans of the style of Obscura and mid to late period Death might not find what they’re looking for. Those that appreciate classics like early Obituary, early Death or early Morbid Angel will find more to be enamored with, however. The songs also have a bit of a black metal flavor that is incorporated by some of these death metal bands to give their music more character. Here, the death metal overrides the slight black metal aura that is largely supplied in part by the vocals. It’s an addiction to the power of the riff and assault of the percussion that wins out in the overall sound, as seen from Through the Gates (They Come For Me), for example. The songs are short, but consistent and all make an impact in their short running times.

The lack of innovation might be a fault to some, but when music is written this well, it’s their addictive and crushing nature that will appeal to the listener. This isn’t a new vision for death metal, but an excellent re-visitation of an old one. Fans of rudimentary classic death metal will be very satisfied with Book of the Worm.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Anna on September 26, 2010.

This album is totally refreshing. “Summon The Stone Throwers” is the debut from NY band Realmbuilder. Their sound can be described as “Epic”, mid-paced metal with Doom influences, yet entirely unique- a sound you’ve never heard but “recognize” nonetheless.

Down to earth and true to self, there is nothing show-offy about this band. Realmbuilder is totally at peace with themselves, and their clarity of vision shows through in the earnest songwriting. Great solos and vocal lines abound, yet things are kept simple and genuine with a retro distortion, manual imagery, and choruses that seem like they should be cheesy yet somehow never are. This could possibly be the perfect soundtrack for a dragon-filled fantasy novel, or alternatively, easing out of road rage and other such negativity.

The only thing I’d prefer is a bit of a thicker sound. Other than that this stuff went down totally smooth, and somehow listening to this fills me with a softly glowing hope for mankind.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9.5
Atmosphere: 8.5
Production: 9
Originality: 9.4
Overall: 9.4

Rating: 9.1 out of 10