In which ex-members of Swedish death metal band INTESTINAL take shape under the moniker of that band’s last album, new vocalist in tow, to create, you guessed it…Swedish death metal. Carrying over three songs from last year’s Ode To Rot demo and adding a couple new ones, THE ROTTENING breathes, eats and shits the Stockholm sound on initial EP, Seeds Of Death. So, you know what you’re getting, and can stop now or move forward into demise.
The Swedish Chainsaw is revved up with ‘Ode To Rot’, the tone a bit less coarse than I’d anticipated, but still raw, hard-charging, and to the point. The first new track, ‘Starless Void’ amps up the roughness, always necessary when dealing with slavish Sunlight Studios worship, vocalist Vafthrudner of Viking/Black horde FORNHEM adding a bit of that style delivery to what’s otherwise a scarring spew reminiscent and worthy of Matti Kärki. Also of note and unexpected, the hyper-melodic solo section that should by all accounts fall flat, but doesn’t, a flirtation with the idea that maybe dual leads in this style may be expanded upon later within THE ROTTENING.
‘Silence Of Your God’ puts the band’s collective head down once more, barreling forward with the speed of a M4A2 Sherman tank on amphetamines, all choler and resentment. While ‘Maleficarum’ may slow its pace, not its purpose, the chunks of gore and wickedness flying from the strings, throat and skins of this quintet not to be denied. Think GRAVE’s more groove-laden material, or Where Iron Crosses Grow era DISMEMBER.
Final new offering and title track ‘Seeds Of Death’ closes out this solid initial offering and, while THE ROTTENING may not necessarily knock the entire Swedeath world on its ass with Seeds Of Death, we’re left with the impression that they weren’t really trying to. If you want to hear some worthwhile and punishing metal of death from one of the few bands of this style Rogga Johansson’s not in, you could do a Hell of a lot worse.
Review By: Lord Randall
THE ROTTENING
Seeds Of Death [EP]
Personal Records