WORLDWIDE PANIC'SSophomore LP Has Set The Band To BeOne Of Hard Rock’s Next Big Names

By: Philip Sayblack

This past Friday, Worldwide Panic unveiled its latest album, The Greatest Villain the World Has Ever Seen.  Coming roughly six years after the release of its self-titled debut album, the 10-song record has positioned Worldwide Panic as one of the next potentially big names in the hard rock and metal community.  This is proven in part through the musical arrangements featured throughout the 33-minute record.  The lyrical themes that accompany said musical material builds on that statement even more.  The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the whole.  When it is considered along with the record’s collective content, the whole therein makes The Greatest Villain the World Has Ever Seen a welcome addition to this year’s field of new hard rock and metal, and independent albums.
The Greatest Villain the World Has Ever Seen, the sophomore album from Worldwide Panic, is an interesting addition to this year’s field of new hard rock and metal albums, and new independent albums.  That is proven in part through its musical arrangements.  Totaling 33 minutes in all, the arrangements featured throughout the album show a continued evolution that was already evidenced in the band’s 2020 self-titled debut album.  That album exhibited a gradual change from radio ready melodic active rock to a clear much heavier work later in the record’s run.  This record’s musical arrangements, meanwhile, continues that trend, offering plenty of heavy, hard hitting material.  In listening to each of the songs featured here, audiences can easily hear influences of bands, such as Mushroomhead, A New Day Dawns, and even Sevendust and The Veer Union.  Those latter comparisons are made right from the record’s outset in ‘Break Me Down.’  From there, the prior comparisons become evident throughout the course of the record.  Even with the influence noted, the arrangements still maintain their own identity, which makes them deserving of applause in itself.
Perhaps the most standout of the arrangements comes in the form of the band’s cover of Eddie Murphy’s 1985 hit single, ‘Party All The Time.’  The band has replaced the 80s pop arrangement at the song’s center with a much heavier new wave meets metal approach that gives the song a whole new identity.  This is not the first time the band has taken on a song from the 80s.  It covered Tears for Fears’ 1985 hit single,’ Everybody Wants To Rule The World’ in its self-titled debut album.  That song stayed closer to its source material than this work, even as it had a slightly heavier approach.
As the record proceeds, the influences noted are not the only comparisons that can be made.  ‘Lost in Time,’ for instance – one of the album’s later entries – actually has a sound and style at points that leads to comparison to certain works from Marilyn Manson, believe it or not.  At the same time, the guitar solo in the song’s bridge is sort of a stoner rock style riff.  This added variance further exhibits the importance of the album’s musical arrangements in its engagement and entertainment.  All things considered the musical arrangements featured throughout The Greatest Villain the World Has Ever Seen (heck of a title, huh?) do plenty collectively to ensure listeners’ enjoyment.
Adding to the engagement and entertainment herein is the record’s lyrical material.  That is due to the familiarity and accessibility of said content.  Case in point is the album’s opener and single, ‘Break Me Down.’  Not having lyrics to reference, a partial assessment is the best that can be done.  From doing research into the song, it apparently is a commentary on toxic “leaders” who use people for their own gain, breaking down people just to mold them in their own way.  Front man Lane Steele sings in the songs chorus, “You break me down/Just to build me up again/A f***** up cycle/that will never end/You break me down/Just to build me up again.”  That sick mental abuse is something that happens at the hands not only of authority figures but people in general.  We all encounter people like that in our lives at every level.  To that end, having this sharp rebuke of such people is a welcome, therapeutic release.
On another note, a song, such as ‘The End Of Me,’ listeners get what comes across as a familiar discussion on mental health.  This is inferred as Steele sings, “Would you believe/This is the end of me/Deep down inside…/I hear you/I need you/Don’t turn your back…/I wanna look you in the eye/Before I’m forced to say goodbye/No one can stop this/No one can save me…Underneath it all…Would you believe/This is the end of me/Deep down inside/there lies the enemy/Would you believe/This is the end of me/Deep down inside/I knew…I knew then/This was gonna kill me.”  Again, lacking lyrics to reference, a full lyrical examination is impossible, but from what can be understood, the message is clear.  This is someone struggling with a mental health crisis.  Add in the semi-symphonic arrangement here, the screams, and the sheer richness of the song’s musical arrangement and the inferred message becomes even more impacting.  To that end it is just one more example of what makes the album’s lyrical content so important to the record’s presentation.
On another note, the band also takes on toxic relationships not once but twice.  Once early on in ‘Left Me To Die’ and again later in ‘Stabbed in the Back.’  While the topic is the same, that the band managed to address it in different ways makes for all the more engagement and entertainment.  Between this topic, the others examined here, and the rest discussed throughout the album, the whole makes clear why the familiar and accessible lyrical themes featured in this record are just as important to its presentation as its musical arrangements.
Rounding out the most important of the album’s items is its production.  There is so much happening in each of the 10 songs that make up this record’s body.  There is so much energy in every song.  It means that those behind the boards had to really ensure that the lyrical and instrumental performances were each balanced with one another.  That work paid off as each performance complimented the others in each song.  The result is a strong aesthetic aspect that adds so much to the album’s presentation.  When the record’s production is considered alongside the positive of the musical and lyrical content, the whole therein makes the album overall a solid new offering from Worldwide Panic that builds on the success of its self-titled debut and makes this record a welcome addition to this year’s field of new hard rock/metal albums and independent albums.
The Greatest Villain the World Has Ever Seen, the brand-new sophomore album from Worldwide Panic, is a strong new offering from the band that builds on the success of the band’s 2020 self-titled debut album.  This is made clear in part through its musical arrangements.  The arrangements exhibit influences from a wide range of the band’s contemporaries.  From Another Day Dawns, to Mushroomhead and Slipknot, to The Veer Union, Sevendust and more, the comparisons are clear even as the arrangements maintain their own unique identity.  The album’s lyrical themes add to the interest, this as they are each familiar and accessible content.  The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the whole, ensuring each band member’s performance is expertly balanced with that of his band mates.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the album.  All things considered they make The Greatest Villain the World Has Ever Seen a record that with the right support, could make Worldwide Panic one of the next big names in the hard rock and metal community.
The Greatest Villain the World Has Ever Seen is available now.  More information on the album is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Website: https://worlwidepanicband.com