HMLTD'S "THE WORM"
@HMLTD
HMLTD.ORG
This piece can be read alongside listening to the album, or separately with apt imagination skills
Worm/World building; HMLTD'S Theatrics
Worms dream is a red curtain being teased open by soothing harmonised voices setting the scene of the forthcoming endeavour.
Wyrmlands bursts open the curtain and features two dancers in white shirts and black trousers with suspenders and curly French moustaches. The main wailing voice is a large woman with gelled down baby hairs and a spiky bun. The stage is filled gradually with more dancers in worm outfits slowly flailing to the 2 minute mark’s slower section. A silver 60s microphone is dropped down to a singular worm who seems to be the main character of the forthcoming adventure- exclaiming “this is wormland”!
It seems that HMLTD masterfully craft a cacophonous collection of shifting tempos, instruments, vocal style and theatrics. 'The end is now' follows, taking us next to a huge emerald green grass field with a 360 camera flying around the main character who is arm-spread singing to the whistling wind. Even in this song a piano fades in and takes control of the pace of the song before a sudden halt and burst of saxophones and echoed vocals from our protagonist.
HMLTD’s 'The Worm' appeals, through versatility and grandiose, to a wide range of potential audiences. Each song sweetly portrays hints of overlapping genres and 'The beginning of days' lets its more somber listeners a taste of the band’s potential for melancholia. Piano becomes synth, rising bells and again piano chords, raising volumes and suddenly again a halt- the first introduction of a female voice. Throw this song over a homecoming final scene, a couple reconnecting after long distance, a lover dropping flowers and their partners grave or a young athlete dreaming big under the local floodlights. We forget for a moment that we are on a journey to confront the work; or do we? Now imagine the latter section of the song over a scene looking side on at our protagonist marching forward through the medieval forest to his goal.
‘Medieval’ is a term I’m surprised I haven’t used up until this point. The project most clearly gives me sentiments of medievalism, from the branding, the bands photoshoots and the general idea of battling a worm with a cross-tipped-sword. The album cover is a woodcut of “Henry of Wyrmlands slaying the worm and saving his lover the Princess Moonbug”. Into'The saddest work ever' the pace picks back up and features a more 'mainstream/typical' vocal style, maybe that’s simple to say but the wailing and passionate rolling onwards of the main singer pushes the audience on a slippery slope upwards to a certain eudaemonic motivation and at the midpoint of the whole album- it is one that any listener can dance, speed-walk or prepare to slay the worm to.
The dialogue at the end is spoken a scratchy and unsettling soundscape. “Cow, pig, human” repeated along with “what’s the difference”. Bringing the following song 'Liverpool Street' back to our lo-fi night drive after a breakup days. Dialogue and an inconsistent instrumental smoothly transforming to HMLTD’s signature theatrics. The worm so far has had the audience match the protagonist’s mental state in preparation to face the worm and save his lover. Up, down, up and up, slow. Is this the way? I am ready, it is right. Up and up and halt. Is this the correct path? We are closer to finding out the worm’s true form.
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If HMLTD were to direct their conducting and sound developing talents to mainstream music they would be incredibly successful. With such talent though this project becomes a piece to listen to in its entirety as a piece of cinematic storytelling through the guise of musical expertise.
'The worm' is the most clear run through of what is happening in the project. Harmonising voices build with the piano, strings, drums and accompanying instruments to achieve a rock opera. The world is building tenfold on this track. If Netflix don’t sign HMLTD for a medieval 10 episode series then I’m not sure who is modernly more fitting to do so. If you were to pick a medieval band of musicians they may come short to the cinema of this project.
At this point in the project we are following overhead Henry on his horse through the aforementioned emerald grass blades in the approach to a canyon sized crater. The closer he gets, the louder the string. An interlude of 'Sinnerman’s song' allows the audience a second of breath before the fight and our protagonist a second to collect his thoughts. HMLTD hit every single style that they have introduced thus far to collectively reach a point of jive and visions of glasses cheers-ing in saloons and inter-castle bars, fully illustrating ambition of any man approaching and facing any worm of any Wyrmlands. I advice a listen to this one without my words alongside for optimum individual mind-making-up.
Remaining unapologetically irreverent and characterfully bold up til the penultimate track; we finally arrive at the end of 'Sinnerman’s song' and the beginning of the final song 'Lay me down.'
Perhaps 'Lay me down' is the most passively listenable song on the whole project, possibly the one that would hit a larger mainstream audience. But when it is the pinnacle of the previous musical journey, it instills a final feeling of hope and relief. Where was the worm? Who was it? Was it a metaphor or did we actually just listen to a whole album following Henry on his conquest? HMLTD hit a final burst of electric guitar and leave us with a feeling not too dissimilar to that of finishing a classic sci-fi movie or; ironically a good period drama.
Asymmetrical and sumptuous: but maybe that is the opinion of those with unfortunate sonic illiteracy.
