Rotpit are a filthy death metal band featuring members residing in Sweden and Germany.  Ralf Hauber on vox (Revel in Flesh, Heads For the Dead), Jonny Petterson on guitars/bass (Heads For the Dead, Wombbath) and Erik Barthold on drums (Darklands) return with their second full-length album and have managed to make this a tad filthier than the 2023 debut Let There Be Rot.  10 songs in 35 minutes and the album cover is another great old school drawing, although I would have liked to see the band return with the color green on the cover, as they have done on their previous releases.

“Sewer Rot” starts with some great growls and wild guitar solos, and Ralf steps a bit away from his Revel in Flesh stylized vocals.  He is going for a far filthier gruff tone, taking us back to the days of Rottrevore, if you will.  The album has a very late 80’s early 90’s vibe to it.  The mid-paced rumblings are heavy and the organic nature of this song and album is pretty fluid, not forced.  It is sometimes a bit different when a death metal band chooses to open an album with a slower song and this song stays in neutral throughout, without nary a gallop.  Good opening song, though.

“Massive Maggot Swarm” is up next bringing forth some double-bass bastardized rumbling heaviness with excellent throaty growling vocals.  The classic gallop starts at the one-minute mark and this is a terrific moment, so classic and the pounding heaviness is increased on the slow down with Ralf, really not sounding like any of his other band releases, which I love.  If I did not know prior, I would not have realized this was Ralf on vocals.  So it is a testament to his willingness to continue growing as a singer.  This tune has a variety of tempo shifts with some dense heaviness and I love the galloping moments on this track.  I can picture a killer circle pit during those moments. The song gets a bit quicker then slows back down, really punctuating that Autopsy doom like heaviness, that classic Autopsy did so well.

The title track has a huge emphasis on doom/death metal as this song plods along…heavy…cavernous, even.  You know this release would have also been perfect on Dark Descent Records too.  This song is heavy AF.  Jonny driving home those terrific old-school riffs.  The song picks up the pace with some cool guitar solos and effects in the background.  It sounds like a horror movie soundtrack, and I love it.

“Dirt Dwellers” has a massive pounding heaviness to it and is vicious.  There is a huge doom/death atmosphere to this.  Think early Asphyx with that plodding heaviness covered in fog that were on the first several albums.  It’s maybe not as heavy, but the feel is there, very evident.

“The Triumph of Rot” starts with pounding heaviness and such a great galloping heaving heaviness.  Very headbang worthy of your time and the riffs are catchy and not complicated.  Easy to get into and more of those wild effects-laden solos.  The drums pounding hard and organic.  The galloping nature, guitar riffing, and cool melodies stay pretty much the duration of the song.  Another high-quality tune.

So if you were to take Autopsy and send on a date with Rottrevore, to have a one-night stand, well Rotpit would plop out.  Long Live the Rot has an excellent blend of the old school with all the right ingredients and the right amount of filth to sink your dirty teeth into.  There are a lot of circle pit moments, as well as, an increase in the doom/death department with this sucker.  Heavy, organic, catchy.  Truly a fun album!

[Visit the band's website]

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