Written by Metal Lair Mick
A colleague over at Metal Lair sent this my way, and honestly the video had me hooked from the first second. I knew I had to share it here because it is exactly the kind of weird gritty stuff we need more of.
Netherwilds: Return The Goat Review
The latest video from Netherwilds, “Return The Goat,” is a chaotic trip that feels like the ultimate tribute to every player’s first hour in Mount & Blade.
As a long-time gamer who has spent far too many hours obsessing over campaign maps, I really enjoyed this because it captures that specific bottom-tier peasant experience so perfectly.
When I start a new campaign, the character I choose usually looks just like Worm Chewer. He is the spitting image of my own low-level avatar, complete with dirt-stained gear and a look of pure desperate ambition rather than some bold handsome knight.
The setting is pure historical grit, capturing that specific misery of wandering a map with nothing but a rusty blade and a dream of becoming a lord.
The video’s visual language is a masterclass in low-fantasy aesthetics. You have the tattered rags, the mud-caked boots, and that singular high-stakes mission to recover a missing goat.
I was genuinely amused by the quest-like nature of their journey. It hits exactly like a menial job from a village elder that you accept purely because you are broke and need the experience points.
When the band starts eyeing that distant looming castle, I could not help but grin. They have clearly got the same “end-game” fever as any of us, just a few desperate raids away from a fief of their own.
What really hooked me, though, is how the song shifts gears. It has this bipolar, almost prog-like approach to pacing that keeps you guessing. One minute it’s a rhythmic, almost ritualistic chant, and the next it’s shifting into something frantic and abrasive.
It mirrors the erratic reality of a campaign so well.. you spend half your time in a slow, monotonous grind, then suddenly you’re in the middle of a chaotic, high-stakes scrap for survival. That kind of unpredictable energy is exactly why I’m keeping this track on repeat.
Netherwilds is the dark medieval project of musician Worm Chewer AKA David Monks. Known for his expansive career as a songwriter and his foundational work with the indie rock band Tokyo Police Club, Monks has shed his past iterations to fully embrace this grime-caked alter ego.
As a massive fan of heavy music, I love seeing an artist take their background in melodic composition and twist it into something this jagged and metallic. It is a total reinvention that focuses on the grit of history rather than the polish of modern rock.
“Return The Goat” serves as the opening salvo for the project’s debut album, arriving later this fall via King Volume Records.
Their next single is due to be released July 15th so stay tuned!
The track is an experimental blend of thrash intensity, folk instrumentation, and storytelling that feels like a genuine bizarre epic.
Directed by Noah Douglas and Jake Thompson and produced by Nathaniel Min, the video follows Worm Chewer and his newly assembled fellowship as they embark on a quest to recover a missing goat.
What begins as a seemingly simple mission quickly unfolds into something far stranger, introducing viewers to the bizarre and captivating world of NETHERWILDS – a realm populated by peasants, kings, mystics, executioners, and revolutionaries.
Regarding the video, Worm Chewer states:
“Though mine goat hath vanished, I hath gained a fellowship of minstrels. Together we roam the kingdom performing our peasant metal in search of the goat, glory, and slightly improved living conditions.
The moving visions within this tapestry mark the start of our legend together and thou art hereby invited to become a part of it. Verily, the next time your lord is distracted by counting his coins, take up thine orb and ponder upon our quest. There are dark and strange times ahead and we shall require every peasant, serf and village fool we can muster.“
Whether you are here for the heavy riffs or, like me, you just want to see a bunch of peasants attempt to change their station in life, this project is shaping up to be one of the most unique and ambitious releases of the year.
Netherwilds Line-up:
David Monks (Worm Chewer)
Mastermind, sole songwriter, lyricist, lead vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist.
Alyson McNamara: Provides additional and backing vocals on select tracks (such as “Cost Of Doing Magic”).
Noah Douglas & Jake Thompson: The primary directors and visual team behind the cinematic videos. Noah Douglas also handles VFX, voices the character “Nilborg the Goblin,” and plays the “Mud Mage” in their videos.
Nathaniel Min: Video producer and coordinator for the project’s visual world.
For Fans Of: Refused, Mr. Bungle, Dillinger Escape Plan, System of a Down
Follow Netherwilds Online
Facebook|Instagram|TikTok Bandcamp|Spotify|Apple Music YouTube
About The Author:
Metal Lair Mick has been part of the Metal Lair journey since its earliest days, helping support the project long before the website existed.
Based in Australia, he combines a lifelong love of heavy music, gaming, and underground culture with an eye for bands that challenge expectations.
Whether covering established legends or discovering the next beautifully chaotic act, he believes the best metal should always leave an impression.
Read More From This Author:
Sybreed Reawakens: Drop and Ben Reflect on Antares, Pulse of Awakening, and God Is an Automaton
Enter Cybrid: A Look into Sybreeds Evolution
No algorithms. No fluff. No watered-down corporate metal coverage.
Subscribe to Metal Lair and get weekly underground features, Seven Deadly Songs, Deep Cuts, interviews, and original metal journalism sent directly to your inbox.
Join the patrons of Metal Lair
MetalLair.net is a metal zine muttering to itself about seo and blastbeats at 3 AM powered by caffeine, riffs, a severe lack of sleep, and a dog wondering why the human is still awake.
Sometimes it’s Kevin passing out mid Seven Deadly Songs.
Sometimes it’s digging up forgotten records no one else is talking about.
Always, it’s built for people who actually live this music.
If that sounds like you, you’re already one of us.
Supporting Metal Lair means keeping it independent, loud, and real with no corporate filters, no watered-down takes. If you want to help keep it alive…
Become a patron of Metal Lair.