Rotting World

Orthank was created in 2010 as three piece black metal act from Penza, Russia. In 2011 the band's drummer left and in 2012 the bassist/vocalist left, leaving Rodislav the sole instrumentalist in the band. From the information available, Orthank played a form of pagan black metal on previous releases, but you really wouldn't be able to tell that, given Rotting World, the project's most recent EP, which was released in November 2014. Rotting World features eight tracks of minimalistic and raw black metal with a slight punk edge.

Released on cassette by Wohrt Records, Rotting World is only fourteen minutes long and only two tracks spill over the two minute mark, making this an extremely short listen. Despite the raw attitude and punk influence, the production is actually quite decent for the style: my only complaints being the overly loud programmed drums and rather quiet cymbals. Fast paced, somewhat punkened trem riffing with a grainy, trebly guitar sound is the primary focus, but there are moments of somewhat classy and inventive breaks, like the catchy, primal lick towards the end of of “VI” or the flailing soloing on “V”. The vocals are a rather distinct raspy howling growl; frenetic and unrestrained, thus wholly fitting the raw and dissonant approach of the release. Really, once the first track starts, there's not a lot to differentiate each track, as it all sounds like raw punkened riffing with blasting drums and grating screams, but it's decent enough given the style. The closing track, “VIII”, brings a slow plodding, with icy chord progressions and strange chanted vocals amid the overly loud percussion and howling, growled vocals. It sounds epic and all, but it really doesn't flow with the rest of the album, seeming more an afterthought than anything else.

Certainly raw and dissonant, Orthank's sound isn't for the casual black metal listener. Fans of Ildjarn, Bone Awl and Frozen Ocean should find something to enjoy here, as it follows a similar path. Rotting World is a short and frenetic release, that boasts a few surprises here and there. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of complexity or substance to warrant repeated listens. It's decent at best and, really, will only be enjoyed by a few brave souls. The spark of something greater lurks beneath the surface, so I will just keep my eye on the horizon for now.