Album Review: "Rotting" by Sarcofago

Rotting by Sarcofago

Today's album is a hidden gem that is being re-released.

Originally recorded in 1989, Rotting by Sarcofago feels like a hidden treasure of death metal. Much like with Master, they escaped my vision.

This band was originally formed in the very metal country of Brazil circa 1985. They notably had Sepultura's original singer, Wagner Lamounier, who does appear on this record.

This album was recorded by three people, the aforementioned Wagner on guitars and vocals, Geraldo Minelli on bass, and M. Joker on the drums.

There are very few death metal power trios in the world, and most of them end up taking on a second guitarist at some point...Carcass, I'm looking at you.

Sarcofago on Throwback Thursday

Death metal, black metal, and just extreme metal in general tends to lack subtlety and atmosphere, by and large. Far too many bands forget to color the heaviness of their music with interludes and clean guitar work.

Sarcofago is not one of those bands. The first track on this album, "Lust," is something well out of the ordinary from standard death music. It contains the sounds of the title.

Instead of abject chord brutality constantly, there are melody breaks tossed into the thunder. The nice little guitar fills break up what can be a monotonous wall of extreme high gain guitars.

As this band and this album pre-dates the Tampa Bay Death May Metal Scene explosion, there is not a staggering stack of double bass blastbeats and the constant Tampa Bay Snare. The drums are big and thick, but they're just a third of the sound, instead of  50% or more like many of the extreme metal acts.

The guitars are dirty and involved. The vocals are growled and intense. The imagery is scary.

This is one of the death metal prototypes.

Release: 5/27/14 (Originally 8/89)
Genre: Metal, Death Metal
Label: Greyhaze Records

Track list:
1. Lust
2. Alcoholic Coma
3. Tracy
4. Rotting
5. Sex, Drinks, and Metal
6. Nightmare