Review by Chris Pratl on February 28, 2018.

What a punch to the face it is when a recording can literally just assail you from the first chords, and Masada's new EP, Hideous Rot does just that. After the solid demo called Suffer Mental Decay the buzz in the underground was that the full-length will be just as great, if not better. Well, we don't have a full-length just yet, but this 15-minute EP will suffice with repeated listens.

I will say that after you ingest the sickening 'Hideous Cerebral Pulp' and all of its stench-filled glory, you get a true feel for what Masada is really all about: no-nonsense, no frills or bells and whistles death metal in its rawest and ugliest form. The galloping feel to the track sets the tone nicely with a generous mix of old death metal like we old farts used to enjoy back when...and still do. The 'Fluteotherapy' will leave you wondering just what the hell happened to Ian Anderson (look him up, and shame on you if you don't know!) to illicit such profane and credible abusing of the flute. That said, it's very interesting, and after a second listen it's actually pretty cool to take in for what it is. The breathy accompaniment was a nice touch, but sadly some elitists probably won't get it, and that's ultimately their loss, especially since it's composed by one Clive Jones, a member of the legendary Black Widow. I suggest you check them out as well before passing such judgments.

'Exist to Rot' is just what the death metal docs ordered when this instrumental tune was crafted, and it's what is sadly missing in a lot of modern era DM. The bass work from Matt Dwyer is really good and the sound is pretty decent in the mix. It takes technical proficiency and primitive inspiration and meshes them to a subtly engaging zenith. With that, we're dropped face-first into the cerebral-challenged 'Suffer Mental Decay', which has all of the earmarks of said title. The thick, suffocating mix lifts Cazz Grant's vocals to a disgustingly even tempo where they gather volatile visages and brutal imagery like kids collect lightning bugs in jars. This is what constitutes ugly death metal from the sound to the vocals, and it proves that music can be devoid of polish and still retain some majesty.

When the EP ends 'Toxic Unreality' starts off much like a Schuldiner-Death inspired piece, then quickly turns on the heels and seems to slowly descend like a mass of shadows to the floor and creep along the baseboards of the room, infecting the entire area. I usually gravitate towards a true feeling of dim and dismal essence when listening to old-school death metal or black metal, and with what Masada has offered I wasn't disappointed in anything except the length; I still await the full-length, but this will do for now.

I have already sat through the EP three times and I like it more with each go-through. I think fans of the demo-era of some of death metal's vast underground will truly appreciate this effort. Keeping in mind the band's obvious penchant for the familiar, oft-criticized 'thick' production on the last two tracks, you should have no problem grasping the feel if you're stomach lining is so inclined.

(Originally written for www.metalpsalter.com)

Review by Chris Pratl on February 28, 2018.

What a punch to the face it is when a recording can literally just assail you from the first chords, and Masada's new EP, Hideous Rot does just that. After the solid demo called Suffer Mental Decay the buzz in the underground was that the full-length will be just as great, if not better. Well, we don't have a full-length just yet, but this 15-minute EP will suffice with repeated listens.

I will say that after you ingest the sickening 'Hideous Cerebral Pulp' and all of its stench-filled glory, you get a true feel for what Masada is really all about: no-nonsense, no frills or bells and whistles death metal in its rawest and ugliest form. The galloping feel to the track sets the tone nicely with a generous mix of old death metal like we old farts used to enjoy back when...and still do. The 'Fluteotherapy' will leave you wondering just what the hell happened to Ian Anderson (look him up, and shame on you if you don't know!) to illicit such profane and credible abusing of the flute. That said, it's very interesting, and after a second listen it's actually pretty cool to take in for what it is. The breathy accompaniment was a nice touch, but sadly some elitists probably won't get it, and that's ultimately their loss, especially since it's composed by one Clive Jones, a member of the legendary Black Widow. I suggest you check them out as well before passing such judgments.

'Exist to Rot' is just what the death metal docs ordered when this instrumental tune was crafted, and it's what is sadly missing in a lot of modern era DM. The bass work from Matt Dwyer is really good and the sound is pretty decent in the mix. It takes technical proficiency and primitive inspiration and meshes them to a subtly engaging zenith. With that, we're dropped face-first into the cerebral-challenged 'Suffer Mental Decay', which has all of the earmarks of said title. The thick, suffocating mix lifts Cazz Grant's vocals to a disgustingly even tempo where they gather volatile visages and brutal imagery like kids collect lightning bugs in jars. This is what constitutes ugly death metal from the sound to the vocals, and it proves that music can be devoid of polish and still retain some majesty.

When the EP ends 'Toxic Unreality' starts off much like a Schuldiner-Death inspired piece, then quickly turns on the heels and seems to slowly descend like a mass of shadows to the floor and creep along the baseboards of the room, infecting the entire area. I usually gravitate towards a true feeling of dim and dismal essence when listening to old-school death metal or black metal, and with what Masada has offered I wasn't disappointed in anything except the length; I still await the full-length, but this will do for now.

I have already sat through the EP three times and I like it more with each go-through. I think fans of the demo-era of some of death metal's vast underground will truly appreciate this effort. Keeping in mind the band's obvious penchant for the familiar, oft-criticized 'thick' production on the last two tracks, you should have no problem grasping the feel if you're stomach lining is so inclined.

(Originally written for www.metalpsalter.com)

Review by Chris Pratl on February 28, 2018.

What a punch to the face it is when a recording can literally just assail you from the first chords, and Masada's new EP, Hideous Rot does just that. After the solid demo called Suffer Mental Decay the buzz in the underground was that the full-length will be just as great, if not better. Well, we don't have a full-length just yet, but this 15-minute EP will suffice with repeated listens.

I will say that after you ingest the sickening 'Hideous Cerebral Pulp' and all of its stench-filled glory, you get a true feel for what Masada is really all about: no-nonsense, no frills or bells and whistles death metal in its rawest and ugliest form. The galloping feel to the track sets the tone nicely with a generous mix of old death metal like we old farts used to enjoy back when...and still do. The 'Fluteotherapy' will leave you wondering just what the hell happened to Ian Anderson (look him up, and shame on you if you don't know!) to illicit such profane and credible abusing of the flute. That said, it's very interesting, and after a second listen it's actually pretty cool to take in for what it is. The breathy accompaniment was a nice touch, but sadly some elitists probably won't get it, and that's ultimately their loss, especially since it's composed by one Clive Jones, a member of the legendary Black Widow. I suggest you check them out as well before passing such judgments.

'Exist to Rot' is just what the death metal docs ordered when this instrumental tune was crafted, and it's what is sadly missing in a lot of modern era DM. The bass work from Matt Dwyer is really good and the sound is pretty decent in the mix. It takes technical proficiency and primitive inspiration and meshes them to a subtly engaging zenith. With that, we're dropped face-first into the cerebral-challenged 'Suffer Mental Decay', which has all of the earmarks of said title. The thick, suffocating mix lifts Cazz Grant's vocals to a disgustingly even tempo where they gather volatile visages and brutal imagery like kids collect lightning bugs in jars. This is what constitutes ugly death metal from the sound to the vocals, and it proves that music can be devoid of polish and still retain some majesty.

When the EP ends 'Toxic Unreality' starts off much like a Schuldiner-Death inspired piece, then quickly turns on the heels and seems to slowly descend like a mass of shadows to the floor and creep along the baseboards of the room, infecting the entire area. I usually gravitate towards a true feeling of dim and dismal essence when listening to old-school death metal or black metal, and with what Masada has offered I wasn't disappointed in anything except the length; I still await the full-length, but this will do for now.

I have already sat through the EP three times and I like it more with each go-through. I think fans of the demo-era of some of death metal's vast underground will truly appreciate this effort. Keeping in mind the band's obvious penchant for the familiar, oft-criticized 'thick' production on the last two tracks, you should have no problem grasping the feel if you're stomach lining is so inclined.

(Originally written for www.metalpsalter.com)

Review by Adam on November 24, 2001.

Not much has changed within the Soulfly camp since we last saw them. There is still the over usage of the F-word and still those percussive overtones that you either really love or you really hate. Sad thing is that this seems to be the same formula that every new Roadrunner Record signing has and it is getting quite old very fast. If you thought Sepultura‘s Roots album was a Korn sounding record with the down tuned guitars then you have also probably turned away from Soufly already and there is absolutely no need for you to read on. Yet for those of you who are still up for the open minded metal head challenge... read on.

Max is still one pissed off Brazilian and his lyrics certainly are a testament to this. However, the abundance of curse words on this disc still have many people screaming nu-metal right at Max’s face and I cannot help but agree with these people. This disc seems to have basically every element of a nu-metal disc present. One song is a full-on rap song and the F-word is certainly the star of the show. Another prominent figure of this disc is God whose name appears several times throughout the disc. Max even screams “Give God thanks and praise” which might turn many metal heads away. Still, if non of this really bothers you then you may just be open-minded enough for the rest of what this cd has to offer...you may still read on.

The music on this disc is pretty standard. It is certainly not as dull and boring as Sepultura‘s music now, but it is not that much better. As I mentioned before, this stuff seems to sound just like the music that almost every so called “metal” band on Roadrunner is doing right now and even though Max basically started it all back when he brought the Korn and Sepultura sound together with Roots, it still feels a bit contrived.

Overall the disc is not without its qualities. Max still has one powerful voice that remains one of my favorites, and the percussion definitely stands out. However, with the large amount of guest stars ranging from Slipknot‘s Corey Taylor to Slayer‘s Tom Araya the band fails to really feel like a band and succeeds more in sounding like one big nu-metal jam session. One song that stands out above the others is the final track entitled Fly High. Its unique blend of R&B and metal is something that I have never heard before and that I believe was done quite nicely.

Bottom Line: Not bad...definitely not great. Only very open-minded metal heads should even think about touching this disc!

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 6
Musicianship: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Production: 7
Overall: 6

Rating: 5.8 out of 10