ROTN are back with their second album, and describe their music as crossover, although in some ways it is almost polarising in its extremes. Take classic Slipknot, Machine Head and Pantera and let the groove melt your brain with downtuned riffs and then they throw in hip hop and rap which is so well done that although at times they are Deftones, at others they are far more mainstream friendly and then throw in yet more riffs. It has been produced with the expectation that the listener is going to crank it as loud as their ears will allow, and all credit must be given to Joe Duplantier (Gojira who recorded and co-produced the album in his Brooklyn, NY based Silver Cord Studio.

Some reviewers are even hailing this as classic Biohazard, and while that it is a step too far for me, I can understand where they are coming from. Personally, this album is more one I can appreciate than one I enjoyed throughout, just because when they move into the hip hop area, they are very good at what they do, but that isn’t a style of music I enjoy listening to. When they are crunching it down then that is when, for me, they are very much at their best. This won’t be for everyone, but if you are interested in this crossover style combined with a theatrical manga image, then this could be worth checking out.

Rating: 7/10

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/rotnsofficial/
https://www.nuclearblast.de/en/