Underground Rot 2 Compilation

Rotting Records

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Rotting Records has just released their second underground metal compilation, simply called Underground Rot 2.  While this is still definitely a collection of underground bands, my overall opinion is this is a better compilation than the first Underground Rot album. 
 
The big majority, if not all of the bands here hail from Brazil.  Some of the bands will be easily recognized by name and some of them are bands I've never heard before.  While many of the bands show off very promising sounds, production really holds back most of the bands on this comp.  Of course with the name underground in the title, you can't expect world class production.  The biggest annoyance is the variation in sound levels from song to song.  Some songs are extremely loud and then the next sond you have to crank the sound to hear it even close to the same level.
 
The tracklisting is as follows:
 
Divine Symphony - "God's Wrath" (blistering black metal w/female vocals.  Could stand to have a darker, more haunting sound at times, but a band to keep your eyes on).
 
Poems of Shadows - "Covenant Chalice of Blood" (grim black metal ala Horde - not in the same league though).
 
Mercy - "Kingdom of Holiness" (really cool atmospheric black metal with harsh black shrieking and good use of violins).
 
Dirge of Bays - "Unblack Crusade of Hades" (grim black metal ala Horde, Armageddon Holocaust, and Darkthrone.  Cool vocals...kind've a whisper/breathing/growling/shriek).
 
Serenade in Darkness - "Lord of All Creation" (atmospheric black metal w/excellent black vocals and average female vocals).
 
Nocturnal Faith - "Cosmic Desecration" (black metal with a mix of almost happy, and haunting keyboards.  Vocals ala Sorrowstorm.  Band has good potential).
 
Exodo - "The Night" (decent thrash/death metal with a good crunchy guitar sound).
 
Flesh Rot - "Breathing in Blood" (more thrash/death metal with a somewhat thin guitar sound, but deep growled vocals).
 
The Joke? - "The Guide" (thrash metal with vocals similar to Decision D.  Way too much treble on cymbals, but good guitar tone helps compensate.  For some reason their name made me think rapcore.  Hmmm...thank God it wasn't).
 
Clemency - "Immortal Blood of Christ" (insane death metal with growled vocals.  One of the best extreme metal bands to come out of Brazil, but they are plagued by sub-par production).
 
Necromanicider - "Sacrifice Children" (brutal death/doom metal w/sick vocals ala Antidemon).
 
Brutal Sacrifice - "Brutal Sacrifice" (death metal with heavy, early Mortification influence in both music and vocals).
 
Orthros - "Only Ashes Will Be Left" (death/power metal with growled vocals.  Production needs serious help).
 
Spirit's Breeze - "Annulling Dark Forces" (crazy grind/death metal.  Growled vocals, blasting, and truckloads of double bass.  Production could use some work).
 
Sabbatariam - "The Gift of Compassion" (speaking of production needing help....death metal with low gutteral vocals.  Some slight influences from Burial-era Extol in the guitars).
 
Baraque's Lord - "Restorer" (more brutal death metal with ultra-low growls.  Oh, and there's that production problem again).
 
Ministros Del Santruario - "A Simple Vista" (Ok, this band takes the cake on the worst production.  Death metal with vocals ala Encryptor).
 
While production can be a big issue for many people, if you can get past it on some songs and if you dig underground stuff, this is a pretty cool compilation of extreme metal.  I think that Rotting Records has taken a step forward with this release.  Better bands, better songs, and even better packaging.  They don't include lyrics or band website links, but they do put a link to their label website where you can find links to some of the bands or their labels.  Here's hoping that there will be a Underground Rot 3 in the future.  (Review by Matt)
 

Rating:

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