Rotgut – 24 oz CANTRIP (EP)
Release Date: 20th June 2025
Label: Self-released
Bandcamp
Genre: Black Thrash & Roll
FFO: Ghoul, Witchery, The Haunted, Gwar, Converge, The Crown, Midnight.
Review By: Trina Julian Edwards
A mysterious trio of black thrash & rollers out of Seattle are about to set the extreme metal genre on its ear. Rotgut self-releases their debut EP, 24 oz CANTRIP, on streaming platforms on Friday, June 20. Their bio claims they were “assembled against their will by a faceless shadow organization in the Winter of 2024,” and after listening, that’s actually not as far-fetched as it sounds. The three masked members of Rotgut are fittingly designated only as FD, C19, and AX, and the backstory for the EP reads like some kind of terrible but hilarious B-movie you’d see on MST3000. I don’t know what I expected from the description, but who knew that crust punk, thrash, and black metal mixed? It may be one hellacious brew, but it’s good to the last drop.
Without a doubt, Bonemelter lives up to its name. There’s no false advertising here. It throws down the gauntlet with some bluesy, Motörhead-like rock-and-roll swagger, and it never stops. They just keep adding more of everything until it’s a straight-up onslaught. Faster drums, ferocious vocals, evil solos, guitar harmonies… It’s like they wrote this song just for me. Not sure what vibe they were going for here, but if it was “ass kicking by a demon in a piss-soaked alley” then they hit the nail right on the head.
When it comes to most music, as far as I’m concerned, the faster, the better. Sure, I can get behind a mid-tempo groove, but give me something that sounds like it’s going off the rails, and I’ll choose that every time. The Hunger is exactly what I’m talking about. This is one massive, hulking beast, ripping the door off the hinges and wreaking havoc. There are several tempo changes to let you catch your breath, but you’re too busy appreciating the thrashy riffs and unexpected melodies to register that they’ve pumped the brakes. And the abrupt ending after the frantic speed at which we were dragged through this track is diabolical.
Even if you’re not a fan of the insane, garbled vocals that sound like he has an actual frog in his throat, it’s hard to deny the band’s musicianship. That speedy ostinato with the slight variations in Return of the Dead Without Eyes is superlative, and the rhythm relentlessly drives this monster like the Wild Hunt is nipping at its heels. This track feels a bit more blackened than the others, with more malevolent-sounding melodies and some excellent tremolo picking that is another highlight of the song. They definitely have a knack for a good composition, and everything works together flawlessly.
Under the Scarlet Cross takes the EP on a bit of a detour. The tempo is quite a bit slower, but it has tons of atmosphere. The first minute of the track is instrumental, and those chord progressions are perfection. The leads are melodic and dynamic, which are really highlighted by the more measured pace. Slowed down, the vocals sound like some nightmarish cross between Lee Dorrian (early Napalm Death) and Dani Filth, but I’m not mad about it. It adds a sort of gruesome counterbalance to the moodiness and melancholy, but damn if this didn’t make the 80s goth kid in me sit up and take notice.
We’re back to the frenzied tempo in Blood and Copper, which finishes off the EP. This track has a speedier death & roll vibe, and you can certainly hear The Crown’s influence, especially with that old-school metal-infused solo. The galloping rhythm and manic leads seem like they’re racing to see who can reach the end first, but it never feels like they’ve sacrificed melody and dynamics for speed.
Overall, this album is what happens when bands make the music they want to make, regardless of what the market dictates. Rotgut is raw and unvarnished, with truckloads of deranged energy, but there are no seams showing. The compositions are terrific, and all of the moving parts work together like they really did use some kind of black magic. While I prefer the vocalist’s lower growls over the higher ones, all of his vocal styles work well in this context. For a band that only got together in the winter of 24, it’s staggering. I have no idea how they haven’t been snapped up by some enterprising label yet, but if self-releasing gives us whatever this is, then I’m all for keeping the status quo. I already know this one is going on my end-of-the-year list. Go check out 24 oz CANTRIP on Friday, June 20, on all streaming platforms.
(5 / 5)
