Review by Adam M on September 10, 2019.

Hath perform a very interesting form of death metal that has a lot of layers to it.  The music has a typical death metal feel, but with interesting sections added in to make it feel broader in nature.  It has really crazy guitar riffs that make it almost a technical death metal release at times, but they are held in check by solid songwriting that makes it more like a typical death metal release.  Add in acoustic portions and changes in heaviness throughout and you have a fairly diverse album that is one of the better ones from the death metal genre so far this year. 

The track lengths are fairly long which enable the band to demonstrate their songwriting skills and depth to adequate measure.  There are equal parts Cryptopsy and Morbid Angel here.  The technical portions are counterbalanced by moodier portions that make this a varied and interesting release. There are extended sections of noodling, but they are kept in a confined position by the structure of the work.  It still isn’t perfect and tends to lose out a bit in the progressive death metal stakes as it isn’t completely committed to that facet.  Thus bands like Death have material that is more interesting and fulfilling than what is found here. 

Still, with such a colourful, varied and impactful sound, this ends up being one of the more rewarding death metal albums of the year so far.  If it wasn’t for the vicious vocal style, this would be more comparable to an older Opeth release with all the dynamics present.  Still, the music is definitely heavier sounding than Opeth at even its most extreme and brings some huge chops to the table.  Of Rot and Ruin is definitely a thoughtful and impactful death metal release.

Rating: 7.7 out of 10

Review by Felix on June 13, 2019.

A split album is always a nice thing, but don't ask me why I bought this one. I had never heard a single note of both bands before and I had never read any interviews with them or anything else. I guess their Norwegian origin was reason enough for me to become active. Forgive me for being so superficial. 

Due to the fact that the band from Stavanger never released any other work, Galdrer offer their entire repertoire here. Don't be fooled by five titles, because they include an intro and an outro. Both are, to express it politely, not among the most necessary tracks in the history of rock music. This applies as well to the regular songs of the formation, because thrilling moments are missing. I wish the somewhat sleepy dudes would put the pedal to the metal from time to time. Especially the dreary "Ferdatokt" does not convince due its powerless appearance. The guitar work of the following tracks conveys a meaner feeling, but I wish I could kick the musicians in the ass in order to vitalize them. Apart from this deviancy, Galdrer play their part in a proper way. The songs have an authentic touch and sound neither primitive nor over-complex. Finally, the audio quality has nothing in common with questionable doctrines of the underground. All in all, Galdrer are somewhere between disappointing and developable - 60%.

Hailing from a 5.000-inhabitants-village, Ulvhedner have been more productive than their split partner. They open Ferdasyn / Trolldomsanger with a handful of mid-harsh, sometimes almost folkloric songs. Their most outstanding feature are the fine melodies. They avoid any form of schmaltz, but they give the tracks a pretty harmonic touch. "Sanitorium" must be mentioned in this context in view of its excellent, airy melody line. Even the opener, which has some fast, straight and vehement parts, does not neglect the melodic side of the formation. Maybe bands like Svartahrid or very early Gehenna have been an influence for the mid-paced compositions of Ulvhedner. Be that as it may, the level of harshness is comparable. The scratchy vocals constitute an important factor for the Scandinavian horde to show its harsher facet, although every now and then heroic vocals show up. Everything is put into the right light by a solid production that gives the tracks a stable outfit. Okay, the fourth track is slightly weaker than the first trio and the ambient closer of Ulvhedner's contribution is acceptable at best, but from my point of view, 72% is the appropriate rating.

In a nutshell, if you have an affinity for unknown combos, pretty crude split albums and Nordic sounds, this one is for you. Both formations don't lack integrity and therefore you don't make a mistake when buying this output. Nevertheless, let me be honest enough to say that it is anything but a must-have-album.

Rating: 6.6 out of 10