Review: “Raw Is The Law” by Rotgod

Over the past decade multi instrumentalist and vocalist Federico “Noise Maniakk” Schilirò has been making his presence felt across the globe from his damp, dark basement torture chamber hell in Sicily with project Rotgod. It is written that on the fateful night crossing between 25th and 26th April 2015 he recorded his first full song for the project in “Denial of Nature” and hasn’t looked back since. Three full length albums, a pair of splits and with “Raw Is The Law“, no less than four EPs have been unleashed in a ten year period that could be described as nothing short of prolific. Each of those records being a portrait in Death Thrash with a few Deathgrind tunes thrown in for good measure, the intent to create fast, raw and noisy music straight from the heart of the much loved 80’s tape trading era. This time out a collection of guests join the party with Er Magnotta 666, Giancarlo Tuccio and Francesco “Ciccio” Paladino all gracing the drum stool on various tracks and Gabriele Nicotra playing bass on “From the Depths of Satania“. As if that wasn’t enough, artwork by Claudio Elias Scialabba (Bunker 66, One Day in Fukushima, Visual Aggression Zine) graces the record.

The record begins with the title track “Raw Is the Law“, an anti-social hate speed that finds Noise Maniakk ranting and raving like a lunatic on a one man mission to destroy the system. From industry giants to underground fakes and people who create boring riffless bands, he tears them all down with a venomous tirade in a savage almost Black Metal vocal style. Old school Death Metal riffs fly in all directions, the quality of the recording as you’d expect raw and demo like, in keeping with the chosen aesthetic, rough around the edges but a little better than we received in the 80’s tape trading era. Every element is balanced, the drums or bass don’t overpower the whole thing and the result is exactly what its supposed to be. Nostalgic aggression in pure Death Thrash offering violence with a hint of humour against a system that has gotten a little too big for its boots. After that seven minute surpassing magnum opus, the fourth three section burst of Deathgrind that is “Goth Black Metal Tradcunt” is a short, sharp shock to the senses that feels like you’ve been Tasered. Forget song structure, this is one barked verse accompanied by incessant blast beats that says f*** you and your judgement with tongue in cheek humour at its core.

The sequel to the much loved “The Serpent’s Speech” the third track of this burnt offering is “Garden of God (Paradise Lost)“, a return to the style of the opening cut that approaches eight minutes in duration on the night side. Dark and foreboding with a storytelling style in the first person, its almost an alternative take on the story of the Garden of Eden with Noise Maniakk being a vessel filled with hate and negativity built up over decades of banishment. Subtle tempo changes and shrill, banshee wailed vocals cut against melancholic guitars, capturing the imagination, the restless and relentless drumming a key component. Lyrically “Catania is burning” by Sito Esaurito, Grindcore is the law when it comes to “From the Depths of Satania“. A ripper in the Italian tongue it plays out at breakneck speed the God like voice of the spoken word lyrics a masterstroke in creating something that hits hard. A digital only bonus track “Denial of Nature (Denial of Treble swamp mix)” is a skull battering few will survive. Raising the drums in the mix and pushing the vocals and bass down while speeding everything up artificially means you get pummelled from start to finish, the track sounding like its on fast forward throughout. All in all a brutal collection of tunes that will help you breathe more easily but be warned, it’s not for the faint of heart or the weak of mind [7.5/10]

Track listing

1. Raw Is the Law (ft. Er Magnotta 666)
2. Goth Black Metal Tradcunt (ft. Francesco “Ciccio” Paladino of One Day in Fukushima, Grimorio, Consumer)
3. Garden of God (Paradise Lost) (ft. Giancarlo Tuccio)
4. From the Depths of Satania (ft. Gabriele Nicotra, Giancarlo Tuccio)
5. Denial of Nature (Denial of Treble swamp mix)

“Raw Is The Law” by Rotgod is out 26th April 2025 and is available over at bandcamp