On the surface, Acid Witch's Rot Among Us is a mix of heavy metal, doom, and horror soundtrack with a distinct weirdness dusted throughout. This delightfully different take on heavy metal and commitment to the Halloween/horror aspect is what has kept Acid Witch from falling into a typical trap in the metal biz and becoming just another horror movie cliche band (though, not to say they don't fall victim to some trappings...more on that later). Opening with the strong and VERY Suspiria-influenced "Gather Each Witch,"  Acid Witch show they're here to push their horror agenda doing whatever it takes, and their evolution as a band up until this point becomes extremely evident. Leading into "Rot Among Us," heavy riffage and grim vocals remind the listener of the gravity behind the show and that Acid Witch isn't here to fool around. Musically, Rot Among Us is energetic and very catchy, with the horror/Halloween bits nicely interspersed throughout, adding excellent seasonal tones and giving the album a really autumnal feel. Add to this the truly inspired and supremely grim cover art and you've got quite a treat. However, as mentioned above, Acid Witch doesn't avoid all the horror pitfalls on this album. Lyrically, the songs fit very tight to their source material, which makes the storytelling a bit more important than content/structure, and it gets very hokey ("Tommyrotters," I'm looking at you). If this is something that would pass by unnoticed on your end, you'll definitely dig this record. 

 

Heavy guitars and synths unite on Acid Witch's Rot Among Us, their newest release on Hells Headbangers. With CD and tape versions set to drop on Halloween, fans once again are (trick or) treated to an Acid Witch holiday. Currently available digitally, horror freaks can start streaming and get themselves into the Halloween spirit. With leaves falling, skeletons and zombies all around, Rot Among Us provides a perfect soundtrack for this spooky season.