Eggs of Gomorrh — Rot Prophet

Swiss black/death merchants Eggs of Gomorrh see their debut release, Rot Prophet, on Toronto's Vault of Dried Bones. Not to be confused with their demo of the same name, Rot Prophet unleashes 26 minutes of hazy, pummeling blackened death on a hungry audience. Having spent five years between demo and debut, Eggs of Gomorrh have had the time to fine tune both their playing and their recording.

Rot Prophet may share a title (and three songs) with Eggs of Gomorrh's demo, but this release is anything but demo quality. Blasting forth from a haze of guitars, "Lust of Murder" puts Eggs' grim approach into perspective. Using hazy guitars to give a lo-fi vibe, but well recorded to keep its distance from that pitfall, this Swiss quartet churn and pummel their blackened death before the listener, challenging him or her to continue on. If "Lust" weren't a strong enough representation of their sound, "Goat Inkvizitor" blasts forth from the fog with frenzied drumming, buzzing riffs, and pained, vile cries. This is the start of the speed test for Rot Prophet. From here on out, Eggs of Gomorrh do their best to pummel the listener into submission with frenetic, yet hypnotic riffs and drums that pound forth like a locomotive. To further sell their vile wares, the vocals carry a grim, hoarse, and dark tone that brings the music lower into the abyss. If this weren't enough, "Leperverted" adds a cacophonous air to an already busy track, and further disorients the listener. Closing out with "Rot Prophet," Egg of Gomorrh's onslaught is complete, and the listener is left with a clenched fist and a desire to start it all over again.

Eggs of Gomorrh's debut outing, Rot Prophet, shows a band that has tuned their blackened death from demo to well done release. Granted, it took five years, but this release is well worth it. If these Eggs can keep up the vileness, their records will be welcome additions to the metal world for years to come.