Review: “24 oz Cantrip” by Rotgut

“Born fully formed, screaming, and covered in goo out of the dumpster behind DaVinci’s pizza on Merrick Road, a horned figure scrambled blindly through piles of empty paint cans, ceramic vases, and angry cats in order to move undetected. He found refuge in a musty old cellar. After pulling his foot loose from the bucket he had stepped in, he closed the heavy steel doors behind him.
 
Wiping the thick blanket of dust off a 30-rack of Genesee Specialty Cream Ale, he schemed. He was cursed with the knowledge of an incantation: a spell that would bring Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos, into this world. He wrestled with the thought while crushing and tossing another empty can. The ritual required great rigor and perfect focus, but he was exacting.
 
He chanted. He chanted and chanted. The ceiling groaned and cracked. Polyvinyl dust plumed and swirled before vanishing into imperceptible motes. He drew sorcerous glyphs in the air with two fingers outstretched. The walls trembled with a sickening low rumble. Bracing his hands firm against his ersatz altar — a Playskool Mighty My Size Table and Chair Set — he ignored the throbbing in his head and steadied himself.
 
A spiralling portal ripped into reality. Out spilled two bumbling homunculi, fully formed, screaming, and covered in goo. This wasn’t right! The pair stumbled and scratched their way through the cellar, bleating, squawking, and tearing through nearby cases of Natty Daddy like vultures to carrion. He pondered for what seemed like hours over the pyramid of discarded beer cans and the now-empty bottle of Old Grand Dad he had chanced upon halfway through. What could have gone wrong?
 
The cellar burst open. Darkening the door was a group of hulking, hazmat-suited figures. At once, the three slickened homunculi grappled one another in a long and futile struggle to get on their feet. They shouted in a panic if they were “being detained” until they were eventually tased into unconsciousness.

This was ROTGUT’s ill-fated 24 oz CANTRIP”

Nameless and faceless, Rotgut are a trio hailing from Seattle Washington who are offering up a debut EP that boasts five booze-fuelled, Thrash laced, Crust Punk inspired Black ‘n Roll cuts that create an unholy union between Punk attitude and Blackened aggression. They don’t sound like they were recorded in a damp, dark, concrete hell of a basement free from natural light either. Instead the band make great use of guitar layering to provide a twin axe attack as flesh melting leads and soloing launches “Bonemelter” in to the sea of souls. Caustic unclean vocals don’t rise to the surface until the half way point of the three minute belter, seemingly inspired by Death Metal with the addition of gang chanted moments to add another dimension. That’s all served at adrenaline fuelled break neck pace, something that doesn’t change with the “The Hunger“. Reaching the tempo of the damned is done with consummate ease, the trio racing through the material as if it was keeping them from getting fed. Blast beats and oppressive atmospherics creep in during the final third, the whirlwind of percussive battery and bombastic bass reminiscent of recent works from bands like Sadistic Force but with more Death Metal attitude.

Pushing deeper into uncharted territory “Return of the Dead Without Eyes” introduces a little Scandinavian Melancholia with some of the leads despite clearly being designed for circle pit action at live shows with its pace and energy. A classic low budget horror film aesthetic is there for everyone to witness, the band citing “Tombs of the Blind Dead” by Amando de Ossorio as inspiration. Fortunately they do that masterpiece justice with this single piece of twisted Extreme Metal, the razor sharp riffage making it a real standout. Slowing things down a notch to create an atmosphere of smouldering intensity isn’t a bad thing with “Under the Scarlet Cross” demonstrating that Rotgut aren’t simply a one trick pony. A longer, slower, punchier cut with some real vocal aggression, this death march to self immolation in the searing heat of the day is enough to make you want to raise a poison chalice in respect and admiration for a band at the height of their game. A fleeting whammy bar drop solo at the very start of “Blood and Cooper” lets you know its going to be a Speed Metal race to the finish line with galloping drums in violent turbulence. The soundtrack to a Viking raid, this one finds the band pulling, ripping and tearing in savage fashion before a sublime, spellbinding solo with death growled backing vocals adding weight to the dark malevolence of the shriller main ones. Bravo Gentlemen, whoever you are [8.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Bonemelter
2. The Hunger
3. I: Return of the Dead Without Eyes
4. II: Under the Scarlet Cross
5. III: Blood and Cooper

“24 oz Cantrip” by Rotgut is out 20th June 2025 and should be available over at bandcamp