The Bay Area was once a fertile breeding ground for thrash metal and, in recent years, it’s proven itself to be a playground for up-and-coming death metal outfits like Necrot, Vastum and Acephalix. Young death metal crew Wroht met in 2016 (at a Death to All show, no less) and began to work on Worship Rot, their debut album. Inspired by old-school head splitters like Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel, Wroht excel at brutal death metal not because they play in the lowest tuning or have a vocalist that would impress Trevor Strnad, but because they write primitive, headbanging riffs.
For example, “Butchery,” an offering from Worship Rot. Chunky, tremolo-assisted riffs, a blazing solo and grunted, sometimes guttural, vocals make up the meat of what Wroht offer on the track and it thrives in its straightforwardness.
“‘Butchery’ is a song we’re really excited to share,” says singer Ivan Peric. “It was one that came up somewhat spontaneously. The guys had a couple riffs they were messing with, and one day at practice, I accidentally cut my wrist from a bottle cap when I was trying to pop it open. I was losing a lot of blood, so I went straight to the hospital to get stitches. I had lacerated myself. By the time I came back, ‘Butchery’ was done. They collaborated and finished the song front to back. I heard them play it and I was struck by how brutal the song was, how chunky the riffs sounded. It punches you right in the gut and it instantly became one of our favorite tracks. This is one we’re proud of. Lyrically, I wanted to paint a grim, apocalyptic picture as well as express a couple ideas that I had floating in my mind. Overall, it’s heavy, it’s brutal as hell, it’s death metal.”
