It’s always exciting when new Wargasm music drops, especially with the band ramping up for a huge moment in their career.

With a “phone-free” headline show at London’s Outernet on September 28th (teased as “an audio-visual rebirth of everything you think you know about Wargasm”), and a North American tour on the way, Small World Syndrome arrives at a time when anticipation for the next chapter is at an all-time high. And after their explosive set at Slam Dunk Festival, where their performance felt tighter, bolder, and more commanding than ever, many of us were left wondering: what does the next Wargasm sound like?

If this single is anything to go by, the answer is… complicated.

Small World Syndrome is not an AWFUL song, but it’s also not a clear or confident step forward. If Venom was a chaotic, glitchy punch to the face, this feels more like an awkward elbow in the ribs.

There are flashes of brilliance here, specifically Sam’s stripped-back pre-chorus, where his isolated vocals finally give the song some breathing room. That section hints at something more deliberate, but it’s fleeting.

The verses are where things start to unravel. Instead of building the track’s energy, they feel structurally off-kilter and rhythmically jarring, throwing the momentum into limbo every time they arrive. There’s a feeling that the band is trying to throw curveballs, which Wargasm has historically done so well, but here, the disjointedness doesn’t serve a larger creative purpose. It just feels… messy.

The chorus sits somewhere in the middle. It’s fine. It’s definitely the kind of hook that could land in a live set, one you could mosh along to after a few spins. But it’s also surprisingly forgettable, especially for a band that usually delivers nuclear-level anthemic choruses. It feels more like a placeholder than a climax.

Instrumentally, the track leans heavily on familiar territory. The guitars have that crunchy, jagged Wargasm stamp on them, but they’re starting to feel recycled. It’s the same sonic punch we’ve heard from them before, only this time, it doesn’t land with the same impact. The production is clean but doesn’t elevate the track beyond its limitations. And then there’s the ending – a chance to go out with a bang or a twist, but instead, it sputters out like a stalled Ford Fiesta.

What’s frustrating is that Wargasm are capable of so much more. Their live presence has levelled up dramatically, evident at Slam Dunk, where they owned the Kerrang! stage with ferocity and finesse. That energy, that new polish, hinted at a creative evolution. But Small World Syndrome doesn’t quite capture it. Instead, it feels like a half-developed idea; like they’ve sketched out a new direction, but haven’t coloured it in yet.

To be fair, this could be a transitional moment. Sometimes the first song out of the gate after an album isn’t the bold new vision, it’s just the bridge. And maybe that’s what this is: a stepping stone between Venom and whatever this rebirth at Outernet will bring.

Wargasm have never claimed to play by the rules. Their whole appeal lies in unpredictability, and perhaps Small World Syndrome is meant to disorient us before the real reinvention arrives. But for now, it’s a shaky step in an uncertain direction, and one that leaves us with more questions than answers.

Still, it is a small world. And in Wargasm’s world, maybe disorientation is the point. Let’s just hope the next track hits harder.