For The Dead (Album 2026)

Rötual

Death Doom Metal

‚I spent all Winter dying.‘ Deep in the valley, beneath the ground. In a grave, the coffin nailed. Here comes the ode „For The Dead“.

From a land where Zombies rule, a screaming skull proclaims the debut by Death Doom collective Rötual with Metal-Umlaut. Experienced in bands like Signs Of Chaos, Norilsk, Cruel Fate, Whispers in the Maze or Dead Culture Society, the album is produced by Topon Das and mixed and mastered at Apartment 2 in Ottawa. And it‘s a journey into the dark, starting with digging the grave in the title-giving intro.

In life above, „Hell Is Other People“, brought with a great sabbathy riff. Gargling, the vocals slowly accompany the sinister soundscape. The growls and grunts remind of Doom relatives like Endonomos. In the single „Worms“, spoken parts are added and later even singing with several voices. One song feelingly transitions into the other. Sometimes Black Metal rhythms can be heard, sometimes the bass gets more space like in „Into The Void“.

Almost whispering and with the doublebass drum rumbling, it is a highlight in this homey dark place of Death. Strings bending and going slower, „For The Dead“ unveils a special beauty and intensity. Until the final couple, it holds surprises like the dual guitars in „L‘horreur du vide“. The song-name „To Live Is To Rot“ maybe honors Metallica as well as Obituary, who Rötual claim as influence like Candlemass ‚with lyrics of Stephen King or James Herbert‘.

With their earthy sound like Scar The Martyr, Rötual are made for Extreme Metal fests like Nummirock or Doom Over Vienna. Brilliant riffs and melodies, resulting in a requiem, accompanying the funeral. As the (sound-)walls are getting too high like mountains, it‘s over. Buried alive without any escape possible, but at least, the last notes were truly beautiful.