Review by Carl on January 10, 2024.

The time has come to shine a light over one of the earliest releases by a band that does not need any introduction to those who are familiar with the noble and fine art of old school grindcore. Brazilian noise commando Rot has been around for years, and in that time passed, they have built themselves a huge reputation as a live band, and I can confirm that it's no lie. But as usually goes with bands who are fierce live, this feeling does not translate easily to studio recordings. Is that the case here? Let's check that out, I say.

When it comes to their chosen style, we can state with 100% accuracy that Rot play grindcore, the way it was done in the late 80's. They keep the middle between early Agathocles and "Scum" era Napalm Death, but traces of Fear of God (SUI) and Unseen Terror are present as well. The mandatory fast sections are propelled forward by fierce blast beats and simplified riffing rage, but in some of the tracks the band does allow tension to build up by the use of slower, more rhythmic parts. Used in cuts like opener "Rubbish Country", where the listener is eased into the record, only to get a blast of grindcore fury forced into their face soon after, and "Almight God", where a midtempo section is book-ended by burst of savage grinding ferocity. Needless to say that, in true grindcore fashion, the songs are short, with both "No More" and "Dear Sorry" being simple blibs of distorted noise in the best "You Suffer" tradition. It's a pretty abrasive and sometimes hectic mix of insane velocity and stomping midtempo, held together by the gruff and unrefined growling vocals of Marcelo, even reminding me of Max Cavalera on Sepultura's "Morbid Visions" at times. It's fierce stuff, alright.

But now we have to answer the question if their live reputation has been translated onto this recording. Well ... no. Keeping in mind that this is a 1991 underground grindcore EP from Brazil, it's very safe to assume that this is going to sound kinda coarse, which it does, but it's not as bad as you'd be tempted to think, perhaps. All the instrumentation sounds totally natural, and surprisingly balanced out as well, with drums, bass and guitars all coming through on an equal sound level. Which cannot be said about the vocals, because when Marcelo opens his mouth, the music is crudely shoved into the background. I will admit that this utterly unrefined production sounds brutal, raw and very underground, which I'm personally all for, but it unfortunately also sucks a good deal of the energy out of the tracks, which I'm not for, at all. The music still kicks major ass for sure, it's just that their live energy is missing because of the iffy production.

So there, solid stuff from a solid band, delivered with a 'lo-fi or die' esthetic, which makes it sound a good deal less solid than it is. For the true old school underground grindcore maniac this should do well enough, because crappy soundmixes are part and parcel in that scene, but for those into the more nowadays acts in the genre, this might be too crude, as well as being too simplistic as well. Personally, I can dig this stuff. It's a bit of a bummer that the energy is somewhat lacking in places, but I do like my grindcore simple and raw, so this suits me just fine.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Carl on January 10, 2024.

The time has come to shine a light over one of the earliest releases by a band that does not need any introduction to those who are familiar with the noble and fine art of old school grindcore. Brazilian noise commando Rot has been around for years, and in that time passed, they have built themselves a huge reputation as a live band, and I can confirm that it's no lie. But as usually goes with bands who are fierce live, this feeling does not translate easily to studio recordings. Is that the case here? Let's check that out, I say.

When it comes to their chosen style, we can state with 100% accuracy that Rot play grindcore, the way it was done in the late 80's. They keep the middle between early Agathocles and "Scum" era Napalm Death, but traces of Fear of God (SUI) and Unseen Terror are present as well. The mandatory fast sections are propelled forward by fierce blast beats and simplified riffing rage, but in some of the tracks the band does allow tension to build up by the use of slower, more rhythmic parts. Used in cuts like opener "Rubbish Country", where the listener is eased into the record, only to get a blast of grindcore fury forced into their face soon after, and "Almight God", where a midtempo section is book-ended by burst of savage grinding ferocity. Needless to say that, in true grindcore fashion, the songs are short, with both "No More" and "Dear Sorry" being simple blibs of distorted noise in the best "You Suffer" tradition. It's a pretty abrasive and sometimes hectic mix of insane velocity and stomping midtempo, held together by the gruff and unrefined growling vocals of Marcelo, even reminding me of Max Cavalera on Sepultura's "Morbid Visions" at times. It's fierce stuff, alright.

But now we have to answer the question if their live reputation has been translated onto this recording. Well ... no. Keeping in mind that this is a 1991 underground grindcore EP from Brazil, it's very safe to assume that this is going to sound kinda coarse, which it does, but it's not as bad as you'd be tempted to think, perhaps. All the instrumentation sounds totally natural, and surprisingly balanced out as well, with drums, bass and guitars all coming through on an equal sound level. Which cannot be said about the vocals, because when Marcelo opens his mouth, the music is crudely shoved into the background. I will admit that this utterly unrefined production sounds brutal, raw and very underground, which I'm personally all for, but it unfortunately also sucks a good deal of the energy out of the tracks, which I'm not for, at all. The music still kicks major ass for sure, it's just that their live energy is missing because of the iffy production.

So there, solid stuff from a solid band, delivered with a 'lo-fi or die' esthetic, which makes it sound a good deal less solid than it is. For the true old school underground grindcore maniac this should do well enough, because crappy soundmixes are part and parcel in that scene, but for those into the more nowadays acts in the genre, this might be too crude, as well as being too simplistic as well. Personally, I can dig this stuff. It's a bit of a bummer that the energy is somewhat lacking in places, but I do like my grindcore simple and raw, so this suits me just fine.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Yener on May 9, 2019.

Alright, this is another one I have been looking forward to for some time now. I first stumbled on these guys around two years ago by accident, and I’ve been hooked ever since. While this genre may seem unintentionally silly at times, Whoretopsy takes it several steps further and intentionally don’t take themselves - or anyone else - seriously at all.

Anyone familiar with this band will know that their previous album, 2015’s Never Tear Us Apart was quite good, with interesting and hilarious themes. Whoretopsy step up to the plate once again to show what they have been cooking up over the course of the past three years. And I’m happy to report that the boys from down under still deliver the goods. It’s what you would expect from Whoretopsy at this point - hilarious stories mixed with crushing death metal - and that is not a bad thing. I usually steer clearly away from slam bands because they tend to focus more on the slams than the actual music, but thankfully Whoretopsy aren’t one of those bands. They have good compositional skills, and the musicians themselves are pretty extraordinary too, so these guys know what they are doing. When a slam comes, it comes for a reason, and it’s usually glorious. 

Which makes the lyrics and stories on this album even funnier. Because behind all the wacky stuff found in the lyrics, they are backed up by an extremely talented band - drummer Jake drives the album in quite interesting ways and manages to capture your attention more than just a few times. I’ve been a fan of his work for a few years now - overall just a very solid drummer. Guitarists Matt and Luke put in their usual great performances as well, delivering a variety of tasteful and technical riffs to the fold. A good number of which are bouncy but not in a bad way at all. For pretty much the entire duration of the album, you can easily move your head to the solid grooves laid throughout the carnage. Bassist Lachlan provides a solid backbone, and the new vocalist Zac does quite a fine job as well. Whoretopsy have always had great, disgusting vocals, and this album is no different. I don’t think anyone will be let down by the vocals on this album. And if you don’t like this type of vocals, then I honestly don’t know why you’re reading a Whoretopsy review in the first place.

One thing I have to mention is the addition of guitar solos. Not to say that they were never present before, but here they are more prominent, which I think is a good thing. It sucks when clearly accomplished musicians completely ignore guitar solos in this type of music, and it’s good to hear Matt and Luke bringing ‘em back. There are some really interesting and well written solo sections on this album, such as the sections in “Fallout Boy” and “Waltzing Matilda” - they’re both very well written and also fit the songs well. It’s all quite well thought out which I can always appreciate, and it brings a new dynamic to the Whoretopsy sound which I think works well.

The production, sound and mix on this release is damn near perfect - it must be so easy to fuck up a mixing job on an album as intricate as this. But everything can be heard loud and clear, no instrument really dominates the other, except maybe for the bass guitar, which seems to be the bane of most death metal bands, mix wise. While it is certainly there, you have to strain to hear it through the incredible crunch of the guitars and the thundering of the drums. That said though, this album sounds pretty great, from everything to huge monitors to your daily in ears. It definitely has the punch and clarity expected from a band like this.

If you’re looking for a change of pace and some hilarious lyrics backed by some incredibly heavy song writing, then you can’t really go wrong with Whoretopsy.

And come on - that album cover is about as good as it gets.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Brian on January 10, 2015.

Folk metal is one of those genres that either you succeed at or fail miserably. I hate to make it so black and white, but to these ears that's how it is. Hailing from Scotland, Falloch definitely find themselves in the prior category. With the release of their second LP This Island, Your Funeral, Falloch have created a beautiful album of folk metal/ post rock that stacks up against the best the genre has to offer. With it's hints of black metal and doom metal, it also manages to help the band transcend being so easily labeled.

After the first album Where Distant Spirits Remain, Andy Marshall left to start his wonderful folk/black metal project Saor. This left me wondering if Falloch would become just another one and done band, seeing as how Marshall was the main song writer of the 2 man band. Remaining member Scott McLain didn't let that happen and filled out the line up making it a 4 piece for This Island, Our Funeral. This also lead to the band taking a new direction, without losing the formula that made them successful on their debut. The most notable and biggest part of this new direction are the vocals. Tony Dunn's vocals are majestic, they soar off the mountain tops into the valley bellow making songs like "For Life" and "Brahan" that much more powerful. They also are whispers on the wind from the ocean to the shore, bringing comfort at softer moments, "For Uir" is a perfect example of this. The music that accompanies these vocals is just as mesmerizing. It flows between mid paced riffing and slower melodies. It also adds some chugging chords and the occasional tremolo guitar parts. This keeps the album interesting and the listener off balance just enough to keep their attention. It has an epic feel without over doing it and creating atmosphere without the use of lots of effects.

The problem with a lot of music that falls under the folk metal banner is it doesn't feel or sound genuine. Falloch does not have that problem, this is heartfelt and real. Their music is natural and organic, giving breathing room in the songs and keeping them from becoming cluttered. This Islands, Our Funeral comes from the soul, which makes it such an enjoyable listen. Free your mind and let Falloch take you through the heavens on this spiritual journey.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Brian on January 10, 2015.

Folk metal is one of those genres that either you succeed at or fail miserably. I hate to make it so black and white, but to these ears that's how it is. Hailing from Scotland, Falloch definitely find themselves in the prior category. With the release of their second LP This Island, Your Funeral, Falloch have created a beautiful album of folk metal/ post rock that stacks up against the best the genre has to offer. With it's hints of black metal and doom metal, it also manages to help the band transcend being so easily labeled.

After the first album Where Distant Spirits Remain, Andy Marshall left to start his wonderful folk/black metal project Saor. This left me wondering if Falloch would become just another one and done band, seeing as how Marshall was the main song writer of the 2 man band. Remaining member Scott McLain didn't let that happen and filled out the line up making it a 4 piece for This Island, Our Funeral. This also lead to the band taking a new direction, without losing the formula that made them successful on their debut. The most notable and biggest part of this new direction are the vocals. Tony Dunn's vocals are majestic, they soar off the mountain tops into the valley bellow making songs like "For Life" and "Brahan" that much more powerful. They also are whispers on the wind from the ocean to the shore, bringing comfort at softer moments, "For Uir" is a perfect example of this. The music that accompanies these vocals is just as mesmerizing. It flows between mid paced riffing and slower melodies. It also adds some chugging chords and the occasional tremolo guitar parts. This keeps the album interesting and the listener off balance just enough to keep their attention. It has an epic feel without over doing it and creating atmosphere without the use of lots of effects.

The problem with a lot of music that falls under the folk metal banner is it doesn't feel or sound genuine. Falloch does not have that problem, this is heartfelt and real. Their music is natural and organic, giving breathing room in the songs and keeping them from becoming cluttered. This Islands, Our Funeral comes from the soul, which makes it such an enjoyable listen. Free your mind and let Falloch take you through the heavens on this spiritual journey.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Brian on January 10, 2015.

Folk metal is one of those genres that either you succeed at or fail miserably. I hate to make it so black and white, but to these ears that's how it is. Hailing from Scotland, Falloch definitely find themselves in the prior category. With the release of their second LP This Island, Your Funeral, Falloch have created a beautiful album of folk metal/ post rock that stacks up against the best the genre has to offer. With it's hints of black metal and doom metal, it also manages to help the band transcend being so easily labeled.

After the first album Where Distant Spirits Remain, Andy Marshall left to start his wonderful folk/black metal project Saor. This left me wondering if Falloch would become just another one and done band, seeing as how Marshall was the main song writer of the 2 man band. Remaining member Scott McLain didn't let that happen and filled out the line up making it a 4 piece for This Island, Our Funeral. This also lead to the band taking a new direction, without losing the formula that made them successful on their debut. The most notable and biggest part of this new direction are the vocals. Tony Dunn's vocals are majestic, they soar off the mountain tops into the valley bellow making songs like "For Life" and "Brahan" that much more powerful. They also are whispers on the wind from the ocean to the shore, bringing comfort at softer moments, "For Uir" is a perfect example of this. The music that accompanies these vocals is just as mesmerizing. It flows between mid paced riffing and slower melodies. It also adds some chugging chords and the occasional tremolo guitar parts. This keeps the album interesting and the listener off balance just enough to keep their attention. It has an epic feel without over doing it and creating atmosphere without the use of lots of effects.

The problem with a lot of music that falls under the folk metal banner is it doesn't feel or sound genuine. Falloch does not have that problem, this is heartfelt and real. Their music is natural and organic, giving breathing room in the songs and keeping them from becoming cluttered. This Islands, Our Funeral comes from the soul, which makes it such an enjoyable listen. Free your mind and let Falloch take you through the heavens on this spiritual journey.

Rating: 9 out of 10