Rötten "Troopers Of The Midnight" CD

Blasphemouse Heavy / Thrash / Speed Metal Assault!! Track 14 GG Allin cover!!

After few EPs and splits time has come for debut album of mexican ROTTEN. 14 songs of crazy heavy n’ roll with addition of thrash metal and punk rock in the vein of MOTÖRHEAD, TOXIC HOLOCAUST or MINDIGHT. Incl. extra 2 bonus tracks!!!!!

Aqui todo sale barato!!! - Here every sale is cheap!!!
This phrase, which is so boldly emblazoned upon this album’s liner notes wrap things up in quite the little package. This is a band that relies a good deal more on trash than thrash. I mean how classy can a band be when they have Satan performing a semen res-erection right on the cover? Well having fun isn’t always about being classy I suppose.
This Mexican duo manages to pull off an excellent style of Grindhouse metal that actually reeks a lot better than it should. Admittedly I was pretty unimpressed after picking up the band’s EP “Thrash n’Roll”; a little too raw and unpolished for its own good and without enough redeeming qualities to justify it not being considered a demo. Maybe it’s just cause they skipped the demo phase altogether and were unprepared but a quick promo vid for this album had me ready to give these guys another shot. A snippet of some seriously catchy riffs and the surprising purple band logo told me something was really up this time.
After a very Bathory-esque intro track we are greeted by more of the band’s signature but greatly improved “Mayhemic Thrash N’Roll”(capital N this time...nice!).That phasing drum fill intro snags you right away leading into some gloriously base golden age riffing. The production is what really strikes you right away; whoever picked this incredibly synthetic drum sound is either an idiot or a genius cause it’s freaking awesome! How many thrash albums have drums that sound like ZZ Top? Just this one and that’s enough of a reason to get it right there. They pretty much follow ZZ’s example but in a trashy metallic vein. Songs are shamelessly written and predictable but are just so well put together you'd never really wanna complain. These are catchy memorable tracks with stupid over the top lyrics and that’s what rock should really be about anyway. One song quotes Jim Morrison while another actually contains the lyric “Commanded by Satan, driven by Angus Young!” How freaking awesome is that?
It’s not just one of those so bad it’s good affairs though and has a little more in the tank than to be expected. These guys are more adept at genuine song writing and real hooks than a band with no clean singing almost has a right to be. These are crisp, smooth headbangers that move along with just enough aggression to warrant the band’s extreme image but are still very listenable. Each tone used is slightly different than expected and creates an interesting yet strange mix for an end result. Massive electronic sounding drums, raw and thin guitars, loud gurgling bass and some very pissed vocals result in a sound that is as endearing as it is weird. The vocals are particularly noteworthy with Aghast’s reverb laden Latin pronunciation being reminiscent of all those awesome South American bands on Cogumelo Records. Speaking of which there is definitely some Sarcofago and probably Sextrash worship going on in some of these tracks. Wicked, the duo’s other half provides all instruments with capable skill and rugged performances. There are some suitably tasty Motorhead style licks which are a welcome surprise and the band really knows how to make the most effective use of tempo on pretty much every track. Imagine if Speedwolf actually slowed down from time to time and you'd get an idea of these guys' general method of work.
I don’t really need to pick out highlights as just about every song has equally good riffs and equally horrible titles and lyrics! The band’s prose is definitely not meant to be poetic but a punky sneer and sense of humor manages to break through consistently and keep things a bit light. I mean the group does a GG Allin cover and that probably says all you need to know about their taste and attitude. However it manages to fit right in somehow as many songs contain similarly primitive and catchy riffs. Sadly no follow up album has yet emerged in the nine years since it’s release. No matter really, “Troopers of Midnight” is like one of those gross but awesome 80’s horror movies that never got or even needed a sequel. It’s just one of the records where the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts and a far better starting place than their previous releases. My only regret is that I purchased the Witchhammer version instead of the thrashing Madness Productions Release. Not only is the band logo way bigger and in that awesome purple color, it features a different running order and two additional songs. However, it could be that my bias and enjoyment of this record is a reflection of the Witchhammer version’s excellent sense of flow and slightly reduced run time which quickly warrants repeated listens. Who knows. What I do know is this is a tasty platter of retro aggression and demented, alcoholic sexuality that deserves a depraved and loving audience.

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