Artist: Rotten Tomb
Country: Chile
Label: Nuclear Winter Records
Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD
Year: 2026
Although it’s been the case ever since the early days of Extreme Metal, in recent years you can certainly count on the Chileans to deliver the heaviest Death Metal. This development isn’t exactly new, of course; the country has been one of the leading producers of quality Death Metal for around two decades already. The number of bands supporting this claim is overwhelming, and one of the better examples of this is Rotten Tomb. Although the band took a fairly long run-up with the release of various demos and EPs, their career has really taken off with the release of their two full-length albums. That momentum is sure to continue with this latest work, ‘Vestiges Of Tortured Souls’, released under the wing of Nuclear Winter Records.
The Greek label, run by Dead Congregation frontman Anastasis Valtsanis, has been on Rotten Tomb’s radar for some time (and vice versa). The label was previously responsible for the reissue of the band’s first EP, ‘Necropolis’, and the second full-length album, ‘The Relief Of Death’, also received a worldwide release via Nuclear Winter Records, having previously been available only on the South American continent. Anyone who didn’t know the band but already follows the label knows enough. The vast majority of Nuclear Winter Records’ catalogue is very much in line with what Valtsanis presents with Dead Congregation: dark and highly dynamic Death Metal of the highest calibre. This certainly applies to Rotten Tomb as well.
I’ve got nothing against the Death/Doom Metal combination, but it does bother me that I sometimes see Rotten Tomb lumped into that same category. If Death Metal doesn’t sound like Cannibal Corpse or Suffocation, or any modern variation thereof, it’s quickly labelled Death/Doom Metal. Just because the tempo isn’t always at full throttle and there’s an eerie, dark edge to it doesn’t mean it’s the same as what Paradise Lost did on their first two albums. Rotten Tomb demonstrate how to create Death Metal that is brimming with dynamism and musical craftsmanship, without drowning in a deluge of different riffs, tempo changes and unparalleled fretboard wizardry.
Rotten Tomb harks back to the evil days of Death Metal, times when Death Metal was truly a frightening style of music. Not so much for the shock value of early Deicide or the aforementioned Cannibal Corpse, but more on a subconscious level musical purity. In that sense it is even a significant step up from the previous album. In a way the album feels less guitar-heavy, but the result is a way more dense and intense album that has gained a world in authenticity. As a result, although the album runs to almost 40 minutes, it is over before you even realise it, and it’s almost impossible to resist the urge to press the replay button. A rare gift in a musical environment where good Death Metal is becoming rarer and people’s attention span is shorter than ever before in the history of mankind. Whether intentionally or not, Rotten Tomb bucks all musical and social trends, a rare gift.
I don’t know whether Rotten Tomb can already be called one of the most accomplished bands on the Nuclear Winter Records roster, but when it comes to quality and musical longevity, these Chileans epitomise the standard the label sets. And, to make it clear once again, although the aforementioned ‘Necropolis’ EP still had a doomy edge to it, this is Death Metal in its purest form, combining the best of bands such as Acheron, Imprecation, Gorement, Paradise Lost, Incantation and Dead Congregation into a cohesive whole that every Death Metal fanatic should listen to at least once. I have no doubt that this will be enough to win over just about anyone.
