Arise from Worms' debut album, "A Bleeding Tree Hanging Self Destruction," is a technical death metal masterpiece that showcases the band's impressive lineup and their quest for genre-pushing ecstasy. However, the album's self-indulgent instrumentation and inadequate songwriting leave a mixed impression. The band's genesis stems from Sonny Lombardozzi's desire to break genre boundaries, and the album features legends from essential death metal bands. The performances across the album are undoubtedly spellbinding with technicality, but the songwriting fails to coalesce into fully formed songs. The album's production is excellent, with each instrument crashing into one another with satisfying zeal, but the music often lacks the cohesion to elevate songs past the surface. As a fan of technical showmanship, I find the album impressive yet unmoved, with a rating of mixed. The album's potential to break new musical ground and pioneer novel harmonies and time signatures is evident, but it ultimately falls short of fulfilling its promise. The band has the talent and potential to create something truly special, but they need to focus on songwriting and cohesion to truly rise from the worms.
