In the past, many recognized Metal classics were recorded when the songs were already known of the public, because bands had to have a deal with a label to record their early albums, what means that they had to struggle into the scene, doing shows and shows to call the attention of a label, or to earn money for an independent record. It was rare to have a band ‘raw’ during the recordings, what is frequent today. And it’s what “Seeds of Death”, the first EP of the Swedish quintet THE ROTTENING depicts: a band with potential, but that needs more maturing.

The quintet plays a form of Death Metal that relies both on Old School forms of the 90s with a clear influence of modern bands with a traditional Death Metal insight. The idea is good, they have potential and a good technical appeal, but some resemblances are too strong, so one can have the wrong idea of the quintet being a clone (what they’re not). It’s a depiction of a band that had to play more live shows to sharp their efforts and potential. It’s not bad, but far from what they really can offer.It seems that the EP was self-produced by the quintet, what means that things were done with a sound technician that had no authority on setting things as they did. The sonority is fine, respecting Death Metal models and defined (besides the tunes of the guitars could be better, but the band seems to need a producer to extract their full musical potential.

Again: the quintet’s potential is very good, but what’s heard on “Ode to Rot”, “Starless Void”, “Silence for Your God”, “Maleficarum” (where good melodic arrangements can be heard in the middle of brutality) and “Seeds of Death” is a set of good ideas that were guided into the wrong way. They’re still on the shadows of their musical influences, so some maturing will make them leave such thing and become their own.

For Death Metal fans, “Seeds of Hate” will have a strong appeal, and it’s a good and honest release; but again: THE ROTTENING has potential to be greater than is shown this time.