Review of Gorerotted - A New Dawn For The Dead

British loonies Gorerotted have returned with another album, A New Dawn For The Dead, and this time around, it's safe to say that the band is serious – well, from a musical perspective, that is. You can expect the same lyrical shenanigans that have characterized their earlier releases, and they certainly haven’t pulled a Carcass, though there are some major similarities between this album and earlier Carcass material, as staff member Erik Thomas pointed out to me. Gorerotted have produced a record with stronger songwriting than before; the new one is laced with bouts of melody and other unexpected niceties, as well as straightforward grind that is executed with greater skill than on the older releases.

The way I see it, A New Dawn For The Dead is a grindcore release with slight melodic leanings. Don’t be scared away if you do not like the new direction of a band such as Aborted. This is not melodic in the Swedish sense of the word. Instead, the things that crop up are musically unsettling, and fit perfectly with the band’s theme. For instance, the intro riff on “Nervous Gibbering Wreck” is a seething statement of intent, not the usual extraneous derivative fluff that graces the work of a number of bands I will avoid naming. As noted, this album somewhat resembles work produced by a well-known trio of Liverpudlians, mainly due to the fact that the drumming is uncannily similar to the patterns of one Ken Owen, and because melodic flourishes are placed side by side with ordinary mid-paced grind, immediately bringing to mind Symphonies of Sickness. However, it would be insulting to describe this as an imitation; if these men are truly the successors to Carcass, then they must be doing something original. For that unusual something, I would point towards the staccato riffing style, which is entertaining and forceful. It also gives the music a pulsing feel, adding to the organic vibe. From a technical standpoint, the guitarists are not particularly amazing, but their twisting riffs are consistently inventive. I guess the main difference between this and their older stuff is that A New Dawn For The Dead is raw and dark, while the older stuff relied too much on comedy. Though the lyrics are still humorous, they are less obviously tongue in cheek than before. Will that deter longtime fans? I hope not. Musically, this is much better.

The members of Gorerotted are not amazing musicians, but they get the job done. Drummer Jon isn’t sloppy, but he isn’t always a perfectly steady metronome. But then again, Owen had the same complaint thrown at him on a regular basis. Matthew and Tim’s guitar work is not very technical, but as I have said, the riffs are what is impressive. Bassist/vocalist Wilson isn’t doing anything innovative, though his steady low end fills out the recording. The vocals are typical low/high gore metal stuff, and the loss of vocalist Mr. Gore, whom the band has fallen out with, hasn’t really detracted from the overall sound. Ben and Wilson manage fine. The production is atmospheric, and the fuzzy guitar tone is obviously intentional. I think, however, that a slightly crisper production might have aided the band in getting the point across.

I can safely say that I would recommend this album to any fan of grindcore. The band have streamlined their sound by getting rid of a vocalist and writing material that is much more focused. Even if Gorerotted is now a bit more serious in their approach, there will always be a funny gore band. What is rarer is a group that can modify the grind sound while still staying true to their roots. The second sort of band is much more valuable to the metal scene, and I am impressed that Gorerotted have managed to do this.

Release Details

Gorerotted

A New Dawn For The Dead

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