Wednesday 15 February 2017

Rozamov - This Mortal Road (Album Review)


Release date: March 03rd 2017. Label: Battleground Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

This Mortal Road – Tracklisting

1.This Mortal Road
2.Wind Scorpion
3.Serpent Cult
4.Swallowed And Lost
5.Inhumation

Band Members

Tom Corino - Bass/Vocals
Matt Iacovelli - Guitar/Vocals/Piano
Jeff Landry - Drums


Review

US Sludge/Stoner Metal riffsters - Rozamov - finally release their debut full length album - This Mortal Road. Rozamov's music has changed dramatically since they released their debut EP almost four years ago. Rozamov appear as a more confident and world-weary unit with their debut album offering bleak sludge/stoner atmospherics. Post-Metal plays a big part with Rozamov's music though that's not to say there a post-metal band as such. They use that genres ideas and blend it with a more familiar sludge/stoner groove.

The opening track - This Mortal Road - is quite an adventurous style for Rozamov to open the song with as it's very progressive and there are quite a few different musical elements to listen to. Psych, Sludge, Stoner, Doom and Post-Metal with a hint of bleak Desert Rock. Vocals appear briefly though it's the progressive riffs that drift from Sludge, Stoner, Doom and Post-Metal that impress the most. Shades of Pelican, Yob and ISIS The Band maybe visible to some.

Second track - Wind Scorpion - is an even angrier and heavier track compared to This Mortal Road. As Rozamov play a more direct style of Sludge Rock/Metal. The vocals are superb throughout. The music is played at a slow pace but it allows Rozamov to experiment with their sound as they add ambient noises to the song.

Third track - Serpent Cult - carries on the distorted and noise rock driven sound with intense different style of vocals seeing Rozamov playing a more doomier sound. 

Fourth track - Swallowed And Lost - is the shortest track on the album lasting under two minutes. It's a post-rock based song with a slowly played piano set against a distorted soundclip. It's a cool and unsettling track at times.

The final track - Inhumation - runs past eleven minutes and offers the clearest indication how immensely loud and powerful this album really is. Mastodon style riffs appear but Rozamov offer a fresher experimental sound. The sludge/stoner grooves give way a mix of post-rock and post-metal psych riffs. The vocals once again drift in and out from the action. Though it's the music that holds your attention as Rozamov weave one final spell of hypnotic trance based sounds.

This Mortal Road is a superbly produced album and one that shows Rozamov offer something different to their more famous and established peers. A truly captivating and heavy as hell record.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Earsplit PR for the promo. This Mortal Road will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Battleground Records from March 3rd 2017.

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