ALBUM REVIEW: Black Tides of Obscurity – Earth Rot
While high-quality prog and metalcore outfits seem to be pouring from the land down under in a seemingly never-ending tide, Perth’s EARTH ROT are here to remind the world that Australia are still very capable of producing something a little more extreme. The Western Australians have spent the years following their formation in 2013 crafting a weighty blend of HM-2 worshipping old-school death metal and sinister blackened atmosphere to great effect, culminating in their well received debut and sophomore albums – Follow the Black Smoke and Renascentia , respectively. But EARTH ROT are keen to start the new decade on a high, armed with a partnership with the prestigious Season of Mist, the quartet are back with their strongest effort to date – Black Tides of Obscurity.
There’s no time to waste on meandering intro tracks here – immediately, EARTH ROT crash in with lead single Dread Rebrith. A sinister guitar line opens proceedings, before the full weight of the Aussie’s colossal brand of blackened death metal comes in, dropping crushing riffing, abnormal hooks and psychedelic atmospherics left, right and centre. New Horns, meanwhile, brings in a healthy dose of old-school death metal worship, bursting out the speakers with a grinding, dirty pace before Towards a Godless Shrine showcases a furious masterclass in blackened death metal.
As EARTH ROT approach the mid-way point of Black Tides of Obscurity, the quartet really start to hit their stride. Unparalleled Gateways to Higher Obliteration is pure evil, capturing a tangibly sinister atmosphere amid the aggression, while Ancestral Vengeance may just be the album highlight. The presence of the blackened psychedelia is more subtle, adding undercurrents of atmosphere while EARTH ROT delve deeper into their OSDM groove and swagger. Perhaps the most hook-heavy moment on Black Tides of Obscurity, this is instantly memorable as one of the record’s stand out tracks.
The bass heavy The Cape of Storms keeps that groove going strong as the album progresses into Side B, throwing some unexpected – but not unwelcome – Southern rock swagger into the mix, while Serpent’s Ocean sees EARTH ROT diving into their black metal influences at their most traditional, and video single Mind Killer brings the aggression and brutality in abundance, opening with a barrage of tortured screams. All too quickly, Black Tides of Obscurity reaches its penultimate moment with Unravelling Vapour of Sanity – here, EARTH ROT do what they do best, serving up a psychedelic, atmospheric sense of evil so strong it almost reaches through the speakers to strangle you while dropping riff upon riff, hook upon hook. The quartet show that they have one more wildcard left in them, though, with closing track Out In the Cold – the short piece comes from way out of left field, delivering an unsettling blackened country vibe that, against all odds, proves to be yet another stand out moment.
Extreme metal as a whole has been enjoying a period of incredible growth. Many of the OGs have had a strong resurgence, long-serving veterans have been pushed to the next tier in their careers, and fresh, exciting new blood has been springing up at every turn. EARTH ROT may not be the newest extreme metal band to catch the scene’s attention – but make no mistake, they are one of the most interesting. Truly sinister and oozing with a palpable sense of evil, Black Tides of Obscurity is far and away one of the most crushing releases of the year.
Rating: 8/10
Black Tides of Obscurity is out now via Season of Mist.
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