With my recent obsession and onslaught of technical death metal, symphonic deathcore, and black metal in 2021, I thought it was time to return to an old favorite and see what’s going on in the shambling world of moldy, mid-paced death doom metal. The likes of Worm, Hooded Menace, Malignant ALtar, and Outre Tombe, certainly seem to be getting some attention, but how about the debut from Hungary’s own death/doom duo Rothadás which was released earlier this autumn?

Meaning ‘rot’, ‘rotting’ or ‘putrefaction’ in their mother tongue, Rothadás fulfill that moniker with an appropriate murk and filth, though missing that overdone nauseating, discordant element. These guys focus on one thing- riffs; slow to mid-paced, muddy, swampy riffs that lurch and ooze with slimy, visceral glee, sitting astride that doom/death line with heft and foreboding menace. They don’t play around too much with atmospherics or moods however they do occasionally veer off into a slightly more urgent death metal romp here and there, keeping things from being a pure doom sprawl, even with just 5 songs in the 43 minute run time.

The production is hefty but not too slimy or sickly, delivering just the right amount of rotten must without veering too much into that familiar, moist, Autopsy miasma. The vocals are a perfect mix of deep cavernous bellows and skeletal shrieks that imbue the desired tomb-y, sepulchral stench the overall timbre the duo is going for. And the 5 tracks all deliver dense rumbles of an incredibly satisfying nature, notably, a personal favorite, “Sírkő”, heaving “Krypta, ,  and massive, steady lope of 12 minute closer “Temető”, which might have the most death metal expulsions of the album, but ends on a mammoth-sized lumber.

Kopár hant​.​.​. az alvilág felé has been the perfect respite from my usual fares so far in 2021, and certainly a lesser known, less high profile doom/death(or is it death/doom?) release from a pretty stout dou who know what they are all about.

[Visit the band's website]

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