ALBUM REVIEW: Rothadás – Kopár Hant… Az Alvilág Felé

Following a phenomenal 2019 EP, Hungarian Death-Doom necromancers ROTHADÁS are back with their full length debut, out via Me Saco Un Ojo Records, Pulverised Records and Desiccated Productions on October 12th.

Wasting no time on a vapid introduction, the gloomy riffs and cavernous boom of drums drops us head-first into a dismal and dreary cacophony of Doom-Death Metal magnificence. The malicious and spectral atmospherics are suffocating and certainly easy to become intoxicated by. The crestfallen sound of charnel guitars soon gives way to an onslaught of blast beat insanity and cascading riffs that launch into a venomous aggression that is equally as gratifying as the slower moments, it is in these early moments that a revelation occurs, this album will truly stand out among the crowd. Marching into oblivion with a glorious mix of transcendent eeriness and outright brutality, the blend here is perfect. Immediately bands like Spectral Voice and Krypts come to mind, but that is not to say Rothadás necessarily sound like either, for they have a darkness of their own that is equally intense and foreboding. Eldritch soundscapes are certainly coming out in full display on this wonderful opus, but what lies ahead is shrouded in mystique.

A swirling tide of murky and creepy guitars ebbs and flows atop crashing waves of cymbals to give us this sense of almost meditative reflection. These moments give the album a morbidly resplendent feeling before launching Death Metal artillery of epic proportions that destroys any feelings of tranquility with sheer savagery and expansive riffing that liquefies the brain without remorse. The reverberate vocals echo in a monstrous manner, rolling atop the instrumentals with unmistakable power and fantastic delivery that suits the extensive, sweeping production that comprehensively showcases all of the nuance and musical abilities of the duo while not relying on anything but high quality songwriting and atmospheric conjurations of abyssal unearthliness. With a development between the songs that works to grandiose effect over the course of the album, these 5 pieces make a whole, indeed one of cataclysmic scope while being very enjoyable in their segments. The entire piece is a monumental affair that must be examined and heard with tentative ears and an open mind to receive a transporting experience of Death Metal totality.

Daunting and malevolent, this album is a near-perfect example of Death-Doom Metal that does not fall to their trappings of either genre, allowing the fusion to enhance their sound rather than becoming too reliant on repetition. Expansive riffing and diverse drums meet cavernously snarled vocals to deliver a crushing, monolithic and unrelenting storm of Death Metal with inarguably powerful atmospherics. A potent concoction of unforgettable and haunting music that brings spectral sorrow and warped visions into thunderous Death Metal without sacrificing any of the heaviness. Funereal, brutal and impactful in equal measure.