“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Grind”: Wormrot Has No Plans to Slow Down in 2025

Those who aren’t niche heavy music aficionados may still recognize Singapore’s Wormrot from the viral images of Biquette — the “grindcore goat,” as covered by outlets like Complex and Vice — at a DIY Wormrot show in France in 2011. Following the outstanding reception of 2022’s genre-bending record HISS, a recently-released compilation record titled Left to Rot, on-again-off-again lineup changes and an upcoming live album, the grind giants (restored to their original 2007 lineup) are embarking on a full US tour this spring with fellow international heavy-hitters No/Más, Oxygen Destroyer, Violencia and Bandit. 

Ahead of their Salt Lake City stop at Aces High Saloon on May 11, Wormrot guitarist and original founding member Nurrasyid “Rasyid” Juraimi was kind enough to answer some of my greatest fangirl questions on everything from up-and-coming global grindcore acts to touring challenges and tips to avoid burning out on the road (or the plane).

SLUG: As a band that’s been around for a while, having been discovered by Earache Records through your Myspace page, how have you seen the shifting social media/digital landscape impact the global grindcore scene? How has this impacted how you approach promoting your own music?

Rasyid: Social media has definitely given a significant boost to smaller bands worldwide. Bands are able to reach out to more promoters and secure shows easier. Gone are the days of expensive IDD phone calls or snail mail. Bands are capitalizing [on] social media to spread their name. However, there’s a point to where you might over-share and lose the mystique. For Wormrot, I take the humble approach and post only necessary updates with less fanfare captions. We don’t talk like that in real life either. I believe in the quiet, steady and organic growth for Wormrot — I don’t believe in shouting for attention, or going out of my way to sell my shit. Embrace your niche.

SLUG: What stands out to you about the culture of grindcore shows in the United States compared to your experiences in the scene in Asia?

Rasyid: I wish I [could] remember and tell you a good answer! It’s been a while since we last touched base in the US. I do remember the crowd going wild the last time, so I hope that happens again this time around. The US better turn up now and stop bitching on our socials that we don’t go to the US! Other than that, grindcore communities around the world have always been accepting and welcoming to people of all ages, races and sexes.

SLUG: It’s hard to talk about Wormrot without bringing up the now-iconic grindcore goat. How did that incident going viral impact you as a band?

Rasyid: It certainly brought a lot of attention and we welcome it. It’s free promo, and it comes in waves! I appreciate everyone who posts those images once in a while.

SLUG: You’ve undergone some lineup changes in the last couple of years. How have these changes impacted writing, recording and touring? Do you feel like that strengthened the band?

Rasyid: Being the only member that has been with the band from day one, I’ve seen all the highs and lows of the band. Without going into too much drama, I can say that this current lineup has always been the easiest. I’ve also vibed best with these guys. We witnessed each other’s growth in our individual lives and supported each other, even when they left the band. I’m excited to be performing with Arif [Suhaimi] and Fitri again and I can’t wait to write new music.

SLUG: What was your experience with having open, online auditions for a vocalist?

Rasyid: The online auditions attracted many potentials all over the world, even though I tried to narrow it down to only Singapore. I had no choice but to cast my net wider and listen to everything that was filling my inbox. I had some high potentials [with] whom I sat down and chat[ted] with but could[n’t] work out a deal with them. Gabriel Dubko came into the picture and saved Wormrot. If it wasn’t for him, I might have called it quits for Wormrot 2-3 years ago.

SLUG: As a legendary band in the realm of grindcore, what excites you about new, up-and-coming grindcore acts? How have you seen that scene grow and change over time?

Rasyid: I don’t regard ourselves as legendary, as I feel we’re still learning and still climbing up the ladder. We still feel giddy with excitement touring with bands that we listen to back home.

What excites me most is how the younger bands interpret grindcore. What constitutes as grindcore to them at this time and age? What new elements are they trying to bring into the genre and convince you that “this is grindcore”? Noise, violins, trumpets, clean singing, who are you to say no?

SLUG: The full lineup for this upcoming tour is absolutely insane — No/Más, Oxygen Destroyer, Violencia and Bandit. How did this lineup come together? What draws you most to all of these bands?

Rasyid: We were suppose to tour the US with No/Más about a year ago before I had to cancel the tour. So this is basically the revenge tour. I’d like to say thanks to No/Más and Crawlspace Booking for having the patience and trust. The line-up for this tour is insane, I’m well excited to share the stage with them. Every night’s gonna be noisy as shit.

SLUG: What do you all do to avoid getting burnt out when touring all over the world?

Rasyid: Personally, I try to write non-grindcore music in between songs. My side project bands, SATAN! and Marijannah, are products of those lull periods between tours. Other than that, all of us are into video games. I’m currently not as heavy a gamer as the other two are, as I’m always itching to write new music. That being said, I’m currently really into Elden Ring.

SLUG: For each of you, what do you love and hate most about touring? What makes international touring different, other than just the distance? Any standout stories from touring you’d like to share?

Rasyid: Personally, I love the isolation and escape touring offers. I’m a private person, an introvert. You can find me minding my own business backstage, behind the merch table or at the driver’s seat. Sure, when I have to get shit done and I have to communicate, I do so without hesitation. When it’s time to rip it on stage, I give my 100%. But when the job’s done, I would prefer to be away from the crowd.

I also like to get away from Singapore as I feel the societal pressure of having a normal and stable job when I’m there for a long period of time. I don’t like the working culture of Singapore and I never want to be part of any sort of corporate structure. The worst thing about touring is if you’re unlucky enough to be on the road with people that you just don’t vibe with. Touring really shows the true colors of a person. If you can’t get along with a band member before touring, things WILL NOT get better upon commencement.

SLUG: HISS is one of the greatest grindcore records to come out in recent history, and what stands out most about it is how you incorporate other genres. Where did the inspiration to include these elements of thrash metal — even classical music — come from? How was your approach to writing this record different than your previous releases?

Rasyid: With HISS I wanted to push the envelope by incorporating quieter and cleaner aesthetics. The album cover, the guitar tone, the violin solo at the end of the album, etc. are all products of this vision. When I came up with the name HISS and the band agreed on it, I already knew how the title was going to influence the whole feel of the album, so I worked towards that. Although most of the songs had already been written before we had the title, there were also lots of things that I could do to still achieve the vibe I wanted. So yeah, I would say having a fitting title and feel helps this release. Gonna sound corny, but you gotta feel it.

SLUG: What’s next for Wormrot?

Rasyid: A couple of months ago we released an early-years compilation record called Left To Rot. In the next couple of months, we’re releasing a live album called TNT, consisting of songs taken from all our full-lengths. Touring wise, we’ll be touring the EU right after the US tour, and then some laid out till the end of the year. It’s gonna be a busy year!

Don’t miss Wormrot live for the noisiest show of the year in Salt Lake City at Aces High Saloon on May 11 with Oxygen Destroyer and No/Más, and pre-order their upcoming live album TNT via Earache Records before its release on May 30.

Read more interviews with national artists:
Is mercury In Your Orbit? We Talk Tour, Swarm The Hive Mind and New Music
Gouge Away’s Christina Michelle on Coloring Outside the Lines