Everybody has to start somewhere. That’s a simple truth that I think many forget about when dealing with all the numerous names that are constantly floating throughout the vast underground and all the talent that’s out there for us to fawn over and become lost within. Some talent takes time to mature and blossom into something that can be considered formidable and impressive in their own right, but some are able to show what they’re truly made of right out of the gate. The beginning of Rot Fester may seem unassuming for all the right reasons, but it’s with previous experience in other bands that this duo immediately makes the name something to know.
While I’m sure many would look upon the cover art for this debut EP and feel as though Rot Fester is little more than some fledgling act making death metal out of their basement with years of work alongside trial and error ahead of them, the reality of “Condone and Condemn” could not be any further from that. But six tracks are all that adorn this EP with the first merely being a brief introduction, yet it is in every given instant of the creation that Rot Fester puts forth a voracious display of intensely pure death metal with no frills that is here to decimate and consume without prejudice. It’s a simpler creation that is quite a distance away from what many would consider the current hot flavors without the realms of death metal with their crazy visages of technical prowess, but it’s in that stripped-down approach that Rot Fester truly seems to thrive and become a menace to society. Powered by immense rhythms that are amazingly intoxicating that can easily be shifted into immense dirges of undead chaos to really drive home the power that’s contained here, “Condone and Condemn” is the perfect title for such an entrance in the sprawling underground. This is an EP that could effortlessly find itself in the depths of obscurity given by how much it goes with the motion of the ocean rather than purposefully rocking the boat, yet Rot Fester has made for quite a compelling argument when it comes to keeping things straightforward.
Not every new band needs to have some crazy wow-factor or seek to reinvent the sound with their approach. Oftentimes, a simple knack for the sound and a clear understanding of how it approach it all can be the difference between a damn good time and something that feels hollow. By every extent, Rot Fester achieves the former. For all that’s brought forward within “Condone and Condemn”, it is Rot Fester that clearly comes out on top.
LISTEN to “Condone and Condemn” on Bandcamp here.
LIKE Rot Fester on Facebook here.
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