From Bandcamp, “With their debut album, “Rotten Magick,” the southern cabal called SORCEROT has chosen the form of your destructor: Eight tracks of highly-volatile blackened heavy metal animated by the spirit of myth and madness.” “Nightmare Cauldron” is up first. It feels to me like mostly Thrash Metal, with Black Metal leanings, especially in the vocals. I also love how well the meaty bass notes can be heard. The sound is aggressive, but also smooth, and easy to calculate. “The Messenger” has a firmer Black Metal sound that is both powerful and harrowing. The riff accents are hit with perfect and deadly accuracy, and the vocals swell with a frightening passion.

“In the Cedar Forest of Humbaba” is a much slower grind, as the band mixes in some ominous Doom elements with their plate of Black Metal. The sound is as thick as pea soup, and power emanates from their riff hands. “Sorcerer of Red Death” is shorter, but lacks none of the intensity of the previous songs. The band powers through riff changes and accents with precision, and leave no prisoners alive on the battlefield. “Noose of Flesh” rolls forward with a simple but very effective riff, and audible bass notes that rattle in your soul. Add in the vocals, and the aggressive packages is presented without hesitation.

“Lost in the Realm of Frost” swings with a distinct groove that is quite catchy, despite the overall aggressiveness. There are also some solemn tones mixed in, and given the title, it makes sense. “The Rats Dance at Ravengard” is a stirring, raucous song with equal parts of contention and doom. The sound swells from the hardened riffs and vocals, and the drum and bass work are excellent in support. “Dragonriders Ascend” is the final cut, and it’s another aggressive sound cloaked in traditional Heavy Metal elements. When he sings the chorus, it’s as if he is raising a wall of flames into the sky.

The album was quite impressive. The band deftly mixed a few different genres into their music, and did it so well, that they blended effortlessly. The rattle of Black Metal is very much present, but the riffs are discernable, unlike some of their forefathers. This is a take no prisoners, grab you by the balls assault.