Book of Wyrms Credit: Joey Wharton Photography

Richmond-based heavy quartet Book of Wyrms released their second full-length, Remythologizer, in August, following up their accurately if unimaginatively titled 2017 LP, Sci-Fi/Fantasy. The new album immediately establishes a welcome atmosphere: dark, doomy, and highly comforting to anyone raised on a diet of D&D, 70s heavy rock, and ditchweed. Front woman Sarah Moore-Lindsey chants and wails, leading the way through a weird world of hallucinatory images and retrofuturism, while bassist Jay Lindsey (married to Sarah) churns the cauldron and guitarists Kyle Lewis and Ben Coudriet reap the whirlwind. Drummer Chris DeHaven packs a heavy punch, especially with the weird eldritch gallop he employs on “Undead Pegasus” (also the subject of the album’s custom-van-a-riffic cover art). Book of Wyrms have a lighter thematic touch than many of their peers, and they’re not shy about adding humor to their space-doom universe. For every sinister, serious chug (“Autumnal Snow” and “Dust Toad,” which bookend the album), there’s a frolicking, mischievous number such as “Blacklight Warpriest” and the aforementioned reanimated-flying-horse tale. At just under 40 minutes, Remythologizer doesn’t overstay its welcome, but at the same time it leaves you feeling like you’ve crossed a lot of terrain—sometimes slogging up a mountain with a heavy pack, sometimes floating in space.   v