Remastered and now on vinyl for the first time. One of the most
strikingly raw and gutteral death metal recordings to ever come from the Atlanta scene. Includes the complete original demo, two bonus tracks, and a live show from ‘91.
The story of ROT is the story of four friends—outsiders—fighting for their lives amid Atlanta’s unforgiving music scene of the late 1980s. Drummer Corey Pallon, guitar player Richard Googe, bass player James Liu, and vocalist, guitar player, and principal songwriter Kevin Cornilius lived in musical, cultural, and geographic isolation. Metal was a rising force amid the Reagan era, but ROT’s musical style looked far beyond what antagonistic audiences in the southeastern United States demanded. ROT drew power from the same down-tuned dirges of Swedish death metal luminaries Entombed as well as early Carcass and the concentrated grindcore riffage of Napalm Death’s debut album Scum. Cornilius, Pallon, Googe, and Liu played the music that was written in their bones, capturing a portrait of a place, a time, and an attitude, driven by unrelenting darkness. The group’s would-be legendary status was constantly at odds with a litany of socio-political hurdles that came from every direction. They played as though their lives depended on it.
Cornilius progressed quickly on guitar, rising from beginner status to death metal master within just 18 months. Working alongside his bandmates, he wrote and recorded gnarly odes of putrescence during the early gestation period of the grindcore and death metal. He also experimented with a
whispered vocal style that Nuclear Holocaust later made famous with Beherit’s 1991 release Dawn of Satan’s Millennium.
Upon arrival, ROT’s demo cassette, Diabolus (The Unholy Rot), promised great things to come. Songs bearing titles such as “Mutilation of the Christians,” “Pray To Death,” and “Parasitic Withdrawal” were unrelenting in their raw intensity of sound and bleak musical textures.
The tape has lied in obscurity for more than 32 years, existing only as a grainy video buried deep on the internet. Now, Boris Records is proud to announce the first official vinyl release of Diabolus (The Unholy Rot). The album includes ROT’s original four-song demo EP remastered, along with two previously unreleased cuts, “Baphomet” and “Violent Beast”. The release also includes an unearthed live recording, and an in-depth biography, packed with many never-seen-before photos, illustrating the countless hurdles and seemingly insurmountable odds the group faced during their short but fiery existence.
credits
released October 28, 2023
ROT:
Guitar and Vocals: Kevin Cornelius
Drums: Corey Pallon
Guitar: Richard Googe
Bass: James Liu
Mastering: Jessica Thompson (Jessica Thompson Audio)
Photos: Rodney Thomas Fiore
Illustrations: Corey Pallon
supported by 8 fans who also own “Diabolus (The Unholy Rot) demo 1990”
I'm kicking my own ass for somehow missing this when it released. Expertly arranged death metal with kick drums that could demolish a high-rise. zirtonic
supported by 6 fans who also own “Diabolus (The Unholy Rot) demo 1990”
The perfect mix of (old school) death thrash and (modern) slam death. With a great sense for groove and impressive amount of variation. I'll keep an eye on these guys - especially on their other profile where this is a little cheaper and new stuff is available. mourner
supported by 6 fans who also own “Diabolus (The Unholy Rot) demo 1990”
Old school Oregon death metal, solid stuff like Obituary !!! Slowly we Rot kinda vibe, doomy, heavy and earth-shaking cave-deep growling, fun stuff all along!!! Can't miss, Obi-fans need to have this one !! sachavonkarl74