MASADA — Hideous Rot (review)

MASADA — Hideous Rot album cover EP · 2013 · Technical Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Time Signature
Guitarotherapy...

Genre: tech/prog death metal

Entering from the left field, Masada's line-up features extreme metal veteran Cazz Grant and offers up death metal which is both experimental and traditional.

The opening track is a feast of engaging riffage, which is a recurring theme throughout the album. Intersecting the many crunchy riffs are are quirky and experimental elements, such as odd time signatures and strange harmonies as well as some pretty awesome bass breakdowns, as heard in 'Exist to Rot'. There is plenty of good stuff on this EP for fans of brutal death metal and prog/tech metal. The experimental nature of the album is emhasized by 'Futeotherapy', which is - yes - a flute instrumental... on a death metal release!

Musically, "Hideous Rot" really has some quality music to offer. But, production-wise it is, well, hideous. Masada have opted for a lo-fi and filthy production, which would go well with old school and primitive death metal. However, with music as complex and experimental as on this EP, such a fuzy production just ruins the listening experience, because it drowns out all the cool details.

Musically, this is a 4- or perhaps 4.5-star release in my book, but the lo-fi production disturbs my listening experience so much that it ends up a 3 stars. Still, if you like technical death metal along the lines of Demilich or "Human"-era Death, you should defintiely give "Hideous Rot" a listen or two.
Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

A Sonication Technical Death Metal
OBSCURA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Hin helga kvöl Atmospheric Sludge Metal
SÓLSTAFIR
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Cycles of Suffering Black Metal
BURIAL OATH
Buy this album from MMA partners
Facilis Descensus Averno Death Metal
SAEVUS FINIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us