Rotting Christ
Aealo
Season of Mist (2010)
If you're like me, you've seen the name 'Rotting Christ' thrown around for years, but you never listened to the band because you assumed it was an unremarkable throwback black metal band whose albums suffer from unbearably bad recording quality. But since Earwax in Madison was carrying the band's new album, I figured I'd give them a quick listen, because Earwax rarely carries stuff that isn't good. I was more than a little surprised when the title track from the Rotting Christ's 2010 album, Aealo, started playing on the band's MySpace. It was a total curveball. Given their name, I figured the music would sound something like Judas Iscariot or whatever. But it wasn't remotely kvlt. It wasn't even black metal. The thing that stands out the most is the folk influence. As a Greek band, Rotting Christ implement lots of traditional Balkan sounds that, safe to say, don't show up in almost any other metal contexts. "Aealo" opens with brief acapella female Greek chanting before diving into a series of swarming guitar and drum charges, with the chanting enduring for the length of the intro. It relents into a more paced attack after about 30 seconds, feeling as if … Read more
Nachtmystium
Addicts: Black Meddle Pt. 2
Century Media (2010)
Blake Judd has had a rough last couple years, missing two of Nachtmystium's biggest breaks as a result of a … Read more
Starkweather
This Sheltering Night
Deathwish Inc. (2010)
Wow, a new Starkweather album, and so soon after their last one (Croatoan)? Seriously, it is exciting to hear another … Read more
Parasitic Skies
The Descent
Seventh Dagger (2010)
Metalcore may be the most loaded term in modern underground music. For most it means you sound like Hatebreed or … Read more
Harvestman
In a Dark Tongue
Neurot (2009)
Being a side project of a member of Neurosis always lends an air of cache to such musical project, and … Read more
