Review: “Råtner På Rot” by Jordsjuk

“Råtner på Rot is four tracks of in-your-face riff based and gritty metal, without any nonsense. Primal music for primal people! Nekro times needs nekro music..! We’re here to bring you death and doom with a groove!” ~ Jordsjuk

In the scriptures it is written that an trio of souls will rise from their graves and become the future of Norwegian Black Metal. Ears will bleed and brains will be scarred by their raw, extreme and fierce sound, which when combined with introverted lyrics about mental burdens, doomsday, and the general discomfort plagues the human mind creates the perfect weapon of mass destruction. Indie Recordings, known for working with bands like Kampfar, 1349 and Carpathian Forest believe that band to be Jordsjuk. They however are no strangers to the scene, known for their cryptic writings in Djevel, Nordjevel, Urgehal and Koldbrann, to name a few…

Surrounded by a whirlwind of percussive battery from Eirik Renton, vocalist Mannevond sounds like a demon roaring at gates of hell, demanding to be unleashed as titled track and opening cut “Stein Til Byrden” (or “Stone to the Burden“) screams into life. His fire and fury are bitter and venomous and while the sound that Jordsjuk is primitive and raw in the sense of having a lack of complexity and layering, it doesn’t sound like it was recorded in a cave on a potato. The microphones have been well placed to capture the sounds of this monster and its breath is fogging up the glass. John Espen Sagstad offers up riffs with sinister edged atmospherics and there are bursts of blasting a plenty. In spite of the caustic vocals there are Black ‘n Roll vibes which rise to the surface as “Siste Skanse” (or “Last Frontier“) plays out, a little nuance here and a sprinkling of ash there making the incantation one to remember. Tightening their vice grip on your soul, title track “Råtner På Rot” (or “Rooting at the Root“) gets a little more eclectic with the guitars, offering a rise and fall of battery acid nausea before a final onslaught that makes the torture worthwhile. As if fired up by the sinister urge “Viva La Apocalypse” (or “Long live the Apocalypse“) feels far more urgent in its malevolence, returning the the cut throat nature of the opening cut with malicious intent. Razor sharp riffs cut against the howling vocal tirade as the artillery shelling enters restless and relentless territory, the eyes shinning blood red in the darkness as the machine approaches. An intense collection that sets a high standard for Jordsjuk to maintain, it seems that death is only the beginning [8/10]

Track Listing

1. Stein Til Byrden
2. Siste Skanse
3. Råtner På Rot
4. Viva La Apocalypse

“Råtner På Rot” by Jordsjuk is out 15th March 2024 via Indie Recordings